Snap bets AR glasses will replace our phones

Snap unveiled the Spectacles 5, its latest pair of augmented-reality glasses. CEO Evan Spiegel is positioning them as a post-smartphone device — something you'd wear all day instead of carrying a phone.

The specs are a step up from Snap's previous models. The glasses can do more than record video and show notifications; they overlay maps, messages, and other content onto the real world, so you don't have to pull out your phone every time you need something.

The bet is big. Smartphones are 15+ years old now, and the industry is hunting for the next thing. If AR glasses take off, they reshape how la gente interacts with technology — from checking messages to navigating our neighborhoods.

Why this matters for us: Whoever controls AR glasses controls what we see and how we see it. Right now that power sits with a handful of tech giants, mostly in Silicon Valley. When Spiegel's bet pays off, it's our community's chance to have a say in what gets built.