Snapchat CEO to Deliver Keynote at AWE 2025, Highlighting Company’s XR Ambitions

In June of 2025, the spotlight at AWE—a major conference dedicated to XR technologies—will be on the CEO of Snap Inc, the innovative force behind Snapchat and the Spectacles AR glasses. This eagerly awaited presentation demonstrates Snap’s expanding influence in the world of augmented reality, aiming to solidify its standing within this evolving industry.

Though Snap Inc. is one of the few companies offering standalone AR glasses today, its position within the extended reality (XR) landscape isn’t as solidified as one might expect. This is partly due to Snap’s unique perspective on integrating augmented reality, which veers away from the conventional paths taken by other industry leaders.

While devices like the Quest and PlayStation VR focus primarily on gaming, and Apple’s Vision Pro leans heavily into entertainment and productivity, Snap’s Spectacles are a different beast. Designed with a social-first mindset, these glasses are crafted for experiences that tie into real-world locations and bring people together physically.

Evan Spiegel, Snap’s CEO and co-founder, is all set to reveal the company’s strategic vision for AR during his keynote at AWE 2025. Hosted in Long Beach, California, from June 10th to 12th, this conference will gather over 6,000 attendees, feature 300 exhibitors, host 400 speakers, and cover a sprawling 150,000 square feet of expo floor. For those eager to attend, early-bird tickets are on sale, with a special 20% discount available through Road to VR.

Spiegel’s presentation will share the stage with industry stalwarts like Qualcomm and XREAL, well-known fixtures at the conference. The intriguing part is Snap’s unconventional approach to developing their AR platform, a factor that has kept them somewhat on the periphery of the XR community.

Instead of adopting existing technologies, Snap is crafting a custom AR ecosystem, starting with their Spectacles glasses and including Snap OS, a dedicated operating system. They’ve also developed Lens Studio, a tool for developers who, instead of relying on common platforms like Unity, must embrace Snap’s unique tools to create compatible content. This original strategy hints at Snap’s deep-rooted commitment to the XR space.

Scott Myers, Snap’s VP of Hardware, highlighted in a recent conversation with Road to VR that Spectacles are envisioned as more than just a Snapchat companion. The company foresees AR glasses like Spectacles one day replacing our smartphones, and this ambitious vision is driving their standalone design, which operates without the need for a phone or an external compute unit.

“We want people to look up through their glasses, not down at their smartphone,” Myers explained. Beyond the social elements and geographical context of their AR experiences, Snap is determined to cultivate the ultimate developer ecosystem by continuously improving its development tools based on user feedback.

Myers, who personally uses the Spectacles nearly every day, emphasized the importance of collaborating with developers to streamline the creation process. “We’re learning together with developers to make developing as easy as possible,” he remarked.

With formidable competitors like Meta, Apple, and Google also striving to launch mainstream AR glasses, Snap will need strategic finesse to successfully carve out its niche.

Road to VR takes pride in being the Premier Media Partner of AWE USA 2025, providing readers with an exclusive 20% discount on event tickets, ensuring broader access to this pioneering gathering.