Snap CEO Evan Spiegel sidestepped investors’ questions about pre-order demand for the company’s long-awaited Specs smart glasses during Monday’s earnings call, just weeks before the device’s September launch event.

“What we’re hearing from folks is really that they want to try Specs,” Spiegel told investors. “It’s obviously a high consideration purchase at $2,195. Obviously, developers and folks who are familiar with the platform really understand it and understand the technical leaps we’ve made with with this generation. I think for the broader public and consumers, it’s going to be really important for folks to go hands-on. Our upcoming launch event will be an important sort of starting point for that consumer-oriented journey.”

The company unveiled Specs in June after spending more than a decade developing the device. The wearable’s $2,195 price tag is significantly higher than most Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses, which start at around $350, but lower than Apple’s Vision Pro, which starts at $3,500.

Investors also pressed Spiegel on why he believes Snap’s strategy is financially viable for a company of its size, why it chose to go it alone rather than partner with another company, and what gives him confidence that the company can compete with Apple, Meta, and Alphabet.

Spiegel responded that Snap believes the long-term opportunity to develop the next computing platform is “enormous.”

“I think what what some folks maybe don’t understand yet, especially because Specs are so new and we’re really the first mover in this this category, is how difficult the product is to to execute from a technical perspective,” Spiegel said. “When we started innovating in the social space, we were a late entrant. So, most of the the apps at the time, whether it was Facebook or Instagram or Twitter, were already in existence, and we had to really innovate to continue to grow. What’s so unique about this opportunity for us is really that we’re a first mover, and that really plays to our strengths as an innovator.”

When asked about product-market fit, Spiegel said it will likely be closer to the end of the decade before the company sees mass-market consumer adoption.

“I think things, for example, like weight and cost are going to have to come down to see you know unit volumes really meaningfully pick up.” But we do have, I think, a real advantage here in that developers have been building on the Specs platform now for several years.”

Apple is exploring ways to turn future smart glasses and headsets into health and fitness devices, building on the company’s growing focus on wearables. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the company wants its Vision Products Group to develop health experiences that combine spatial computing, sensors and consumer wellness.

The plan does not appear ready for Apple’s first-generation smart glasses, which are expected to focus on core features before gaining more advanced health capabilities in later versions.

Apple previously explored a similar approach with the Vision Pro headset. The company reportedly considered a version of Apple Fitness+ designed for the device, allowing users to follow workouts while the headset tracked body movements and analyzed exercise performance. However, the idea was abandoned because of technical challenges and the headset’s weight, according to Bloomberg.

Smart glasses offer a different opportunity because they are designed to be worn more naturally throughout the day. Apple is reportedly looking at using sensors built into the glasses to collect movement and health data.

A Bloomberg report said Apple’s Vision Products Group is hiring a “strategic product design leader” to “define the future of health, well-being and fitness experiences across vision products.” The role also involves finding opportunities at the intersection of “spatial computing, wearables, consumer health and human behavior.”

The hiring signals that Apple sees health as a long-term part of its glasses strategy rather than just an experimental feature.

How Apple could expand its wearable health ecosystem

Apple already has a health ecosystem spread across products such as the Apple Watch and AirPods. Adding smart glasses could give the company another way to collect health-related information and provide users with hands-free guidance.

Possible future uses could include workout assistance, movement analysis and fitness coaching. Cameras and sensors could allow the glasses to understand a user’s activity and provide feedback, although the exact features remain unclear.

This approach could help Apple compete in a growing smart glasses market where companies are adding artificial intelligence and wearable features. However, Apple will need to balance useful sensing capabilities with privacy concerns surrounding camera-equipped eyewear.

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Privacy and technical challenges remain

Smart glasses face challenges that traditional wearables do not. Cameras mounted on glasses can raise concerns about when users are recording or collecting information about people nearby.

Apple has reportedly been considering ways to address those concerns, including limiting how cameras are used. But reducing camera functionality could also limit some of the advanced AI and fitness features that make smart glasses attractive.

The company also needs to solve practical issues around battery life, sensor accuracy and comfort. Health tracking requires devices that people are willing to wear regularly, not just occasionally.

Apple’s bigger wearable strategy

Apple’s move into health-focused smart glasses suggests the company sees wearables as more than accessories. The long-term goal appears to be creating a broader ecosystem where devices work together to support communication, fitness and personal health.

The challenge will be proving that smart glasses can offer something users cannot already get from an Apple Watch or AirPods. If Apple succeeds, glasses could become a new category of health technology. If the benefits are unclear, consumers may see them as another expensive device looking for a purpose.

Also read: Discover five ways the Apple Watch uses health and fitness features to help users monitor their well-being.

Eight gigabytes of RAM is making a comeback, and Windows 11 may finally be ready to slim down for it.

Microsoft is working to reduce Windows 11’s memory footprint to make PCs with 8GB of RAM or more feel faster and more responsive. The work is expected to continue through the end of 2026, potentially helping budget laptops, older systems, and business fleets handle everyday tasks without immediately running into memory limits.

Rising memory costs are pushing manufacturers and buyers toward lower-capacity configurations. Microsoft has also sold Surface devices with 8GB of RAM, even as many PC builders have treated 16GB as the practical baseline for a smoother Windows 11 experience.

Microsoft is putting Windows 11 on a memory diet

Windows Latest reported that Pavan Davuluri, Microsoft’s president of Windows and Devices, outlined four Windows 11 priorities through the end of 2026 in a post on X.

“Memory optimization for 8GB and above. Reducing Windows memory footprint to deliver a fast and responsive Windows experience across the PCs customers use every day,” Davuluri wrote, according to Windows Latest.

Microsoft has not explained exactly how it plans to reduce Windows 11’s memory use. Windows Latest linked the effort to the company’s broader work on Windows components, including a shift toward WinUI for some interfaces, but the publication noted that no detailed technical plan has been released.

Tom’s Hardware said that the optimization is part of a wider Windows 11 improvement push. Other planned changes include a faster setup experience, simpler parental controls, improved voice interactions, a more reliable File Explorer, and additional customization for Search, Start, and the Taskbar.

Several of those changes remain in preview, so general users may need to wait weeks or months before seeing them.

Windows Central framed the announcement as a welcome but overdue move. The publication noted that Microsoft had already sold Surface models with 8GB of RAM before completing the operating system optimizations those devices could benefit from.

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An 8GB Windows 11 PC still has limits

Windows 11 can already run on 8GB of RAM, but the experience depends heavily on workload.

Email, web browsing, streaming, and basic office applications may remain manageable, while heavy multitasking, dozens of browser tabs, gaming, creative software, and local AI tools can require considerably more memory.

Windows Central noted that users can still complete everyday tasks on an 8GB Windows 11 PC. However, the publication questioned why Microsoft sold 8GB Surface models before optimizing the operating system for lower-memory devices.

Microsoft’s announcement suggests Windows 11 still needs improvement on those systems.

For IT buyers, Microsoft’s announcement is a reason to monitor performance rather than immediately lowering purchasing standards. An 8GB device may suit tightly controlled, lightweight workloads, but 16GB still provides more room for multitasking, future software demands, and longer replacement cycles.

Rollout could begin soon, but details remain limited

Windows Latest expects the optimizations to appear first in Windows Insider builds before reaching general users gradually. Microsoft has not provided a firm release date or specific performance targets.

Independent testing will ultimately show how much memory Windows 11 saves and which devices benefit most. A leaner operating system could extend the useful life of existing PCs, but it will not turn every 8GB laptop into a machine built for demanding workloads.

Read the Windows 11 Security Cheat Sheet to learn how BitLocker, passkeys, Microsoft Defender, and other built-in features help protect your data, accounts, apps, and devices.