Snap is paying Robert Downey Jr. to do the Iron Man thing

is a senior reporter covering technology, gaming, and more. He joined The Verge in 2019 after nearly two years at Techmeme.

Snap has a new brand ambassador for its Specs AR glasses: Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr. The company has brought on Downey as Specs’ “Chief Customer Experience Officer” and has published several videos featuring Downey showcasing the capabilities of the new glasses, including as a tool to get help with a putt, practice art, and watch a private video of an MMA match in bed. In one video, he also dumps the contents of a box labeled “AI glasses” into a trash bin — a shot at Meta’s popular smart glasses.

As part of the partnership, Downey will “work alongside the SPECS team to explore how augmented reality can improve the way people live and work, from everyday experiences in entertainment and education to specialized uses across medicine, engineering, and manufacturing,” according to a blog post.

“Trying is believing,” Downey says in a statement. “Having tested practically every wearable tech that’s come to market in the last 20 years, and been largely unimpressed, I was absolutely sold on SPECS within 40 seconds.” Snap has other celebrities on board to help promote Specs, too, including musician Imogen Heap and NBA star Jimmy Butler.

The Snap Specs are set to launch sometime this fall, and they’ll cost $2,195. They’re available for pre-order now. If you want to know what it’s like to actually use Specs, go read my report from my time wearing them at Snap’s HQ last month.

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