Snap has spent half a decade developing its first consumer AR glasses, the Specs, which are set to hit the market this fall for a hefty $2,195. The glasses, while innovative, come with a hefty price tag and a few limitations that might make them feel a bit too conspicuous for casual use.

The Specs are chunky, black glasses with a 47mm or 52mm lens size, designed to function as a standalone computer. While they’re not as heavy as they look and stay firmly on your face, they are somewhat conspicuous, which might not suit everyone’s style. The glasses are equipped with waveguide displays, allowing for a hybrid smart glasses and VR experience. Users can manipulate the interface using hand-tracking technology, including resizing windows or moving dominoes on a game board.

In my limited testing, the Specs proved finicky. Pinching and dragging to manipulate the interface often required multiple attempts, and the 51-degree field of view limited the AR experience, making digital elements slip out of sight during demos. Additionally, the AI chatbot, while present, was slow and inconsistent, taking around 15 seconds to load the requested YouTube page with funny cat videos.

It’s interesting to consider the social implications of wearing AR glasses. In my experience, the glasses can play audio while the wearer remains silent, creating a bizarre social interaction where the wearer can watch and listen to a private video while staring another person straight in the eye. This could be a double-edged sword for those who value privacy and social norms.