Snap Inc.’s CEO, the visionary behind Snapchat and the innovative Spectacles AR glasses, is set to make a major splash at AWE 2025 this June. This prominent stage appearance is part of Snap’s broader strategy to cement its role in the ever-evolving XR industry.
Despite being one of the few companies offering truly standalone AR glasses today, Snap finds itself positioned somewhat on the fringes of the XR community. This perception partly stems from Snap’s unique perspective on AR, which diverges from the more mainstream approaches of its competitors.
While many standalone headsets such as Quest, PC VR, and PSVR 2 focus heavily on gaming, Apple’s Vision Pro leans towards entertainment and productivity. Snap, however, is charting its own course. The Spectacles are born from a social-centric vision, prioritizing both location-based experiences and collaborative interactions among users in the same physical space.
In June, Evan Spiegel, Snap’s CEO and co-founder, will take the main stage at AWE 2025, a globally recognized event in the XR sphere, held in Long Beach, California. This gathering, from June 10th to 12th, is expecting over 6,000 attendees alongside 300 exhibitors and 400 speakers. Road to VR readers can even snag an early-bird ticket with a special 20% discount.
Flanking Spiegel’s presentation will be industry heavyweights like Qualcomm and XREAL. Interestingly, Snap’s outsider status in XR is partly due to its bold commitment to developing an AR platform from the ground up. This commitment reflects a sincere belief in the potential of XR.
Snap is not merely in the business of making AR glasses. They’re crafting Snap OS, a dedicated operating system for Spectacles, and offering Lens Studio, a bespoke authoring tool for developers. This unique approach means that existing XR content can’t always be easily ported.
Their unique approach and intense dedication highlight a deep-rooted belief in the XR sector. Recently, Snap’s VP of Hardware, Scott Myers, expressed that Spectacles are not just an add-on for Snapchat but are envisioned to eventually replace smartphones altogether. Their design is centered around independent operation without the need for a phone or tethered unit.
“We aim for people to engage with the world through their glasses, not stare down at their phones,” Myers explained, emphasizing the company’s focus on social and location-based AR experiences. To ensure this vision is realized, Snap is committed to fostering a developer-friendly platform, actively refining tools and responding to feedback.
Myers is hands-on, frequently using his Spectacles to trial new features, stating, “We’re in this together with developers to streamline the creation process as much as possible.”
In the race to create the first mainstream AR glasses, Snap must strategically maneuver among tech giants like Meta, Apple, and Google, who are all vying for the top spot.
As the Premier Media Partner of AWE USA 2025, Road to VR is thrilled to offer its readers an exclusive 20% ticket discount, underscoring the exciting developments in the XR world.
