MailOnline tests Snap’s augmented reality Spectacles that it expects everyone to be wearing by 2032

From Star Trek to Back to the Future, smart glasses have been staple features in blockbuster movies for years.

Now, the wearable is becoming more and more popular in reality, with brands ranging from Facebook to Huawei bringing out their own smart glasses in recent years.

Snap – the company behind the popular app, Snapchat – first dipped its toe into the smart glasses world back in 2016, and has since launched three generations of Spectacles.

Last year, Snap also unveiled its next generation of Spectacles, which are its first to feature augmented reality (AR).

While the glasses are not for sale, MailOnline’s Shivali Best visited Snap’s offices in London this week to test them out herself.

And by Snap’s estimations, it might not be long before the smart glasses become the norm, with the tech giant estimating they’ll become as popular as smartphones ‘within five to ten years.’

While the glasses are not for sale, MailOnline’s Shivali Best visited Snap’s offices in London this week to test them out herself

Snap is probably best known for its Face Lenses (who can forget the flower crown and animal ears that took over social media in 2016?), but actually has a huge range of AR experiences available.

These include 3D effects, World Lenses that bring objects to life around you, and Connected Lenses that allow multiple users to explore AR experiences together in real time.

While these lenses are currently accessed through the Snapchat smartphone app, the next generation Spectacles allow content creators to overlay these Lenses directly on to the real world.

The Spectacles feature dual 3D waveguide displays and a 26.3° field of view, which realistically place Lenses right before your eyes.

Dual stereo speakers add audio to these experiences, making them even more realistic, while two built-in cameras allow you to record exactly what you’re seeing.

At Snap’s London HQ, MailOnline’s Shivali tested the next generation Spectacles with a range of Lenses.

The Solar System Lens placed the eight planets and the Sun before my eyes, allowing me to walk between them and see their relative size and key features as if they were right there.

Meanwhile, the Magic Forest Lens could sense where I was looking, placing a blanket of AR flowers across the floor when I looked down, and allowing a cartoon butterfly to ‘land’ on my hand when I held it out in front of me.

The Magic Forest Lens could sense where I was looking, placing a blanket of AR flowers across the floor when I looked down, and allowing a cartoon butterfly to ‘land’ on my hand when I held it out in front of me

The Solar System Lens placed the eight planets and the Sun before my eyes, allowing me to walk between them and see their relative size and key features as if they were right there

The Zombie Attack Lens was slightly less fun, showing a terrifying zombie chasing after me, combined with creepy groans blasting through my ears as it neared me!

While similar experiences are already available through existing headsets, such as Microsoft HoloLens 2, most of these are quite chunky and tethered.

In contrast, Snap’s Spectacles weigh 0.3lbs (134 grams) and aren’t restricted by any cables – albeit with just 30 minutes of use per charge in their current iteration.

In the near future, Snap sees the smart glasses becoming essential everyday items for people.

The Zombie Attack Lens was slightly less fun, showing a terrifying zombie chasing after me, combined with creepy groans blasting through my ears as it neared me

In the near future, Snap sees the smart glasses becoming essential everyday items for people. For example, they could allow runners to race against themselves from a previous run to improve their times, or let history buffs explore iconic landmarks and see how they’ve changed over time

Snap’s Spectacles weigh 0.3lbs (134 grams) and aren’t restricted by any cables – albeit with just 30 minutes of use per charge in their current iteration

For example, they could allow runners to race against themselves from a previous run to improve their times, or let history buffs explore iconic landmarks and see how they’ve changed over time.

However, for now, only a lucky few content creators are able to get their hands on them.

‘We’ve offered the new Spectacles to a select group of creators around the world to learn alongside us and push the boundaries of AR,’ Snap said.

‘Through Spectacles and Lens Studio, these creators have already brought their imaginations to life, with the world as their canvas.’