Are you yearning to view the world through Snapchat-filtered sunglasses? You’ll soon be able to do just that, as Snapchat is releasing its very own sunglasses with a built-in camera, dubbed “Spectacles.” Oh snap, son!
The millennial-friendly messaging service plus social network plus video hub is now set to release “Spectacles,” their very own smart glasses. The sunglasses shoot first-person video clips, or Snaps, as the company likes to call them, that you can directly transfer to the Snapchat application on your smartphone.
Snapchat (or Snap Inc.) hopes to change the game with Spectacles
Snapchat, which has now re-branded itself and Snap Inc., is releasing its very first foray into the hardware market through these sunglasses. The company touted the brand-new product last Saturday through a fashion-friendly website appropriately called Spectacles.com. The company also posted a press release on their brand-new website Snap.com.
“We’ve created one of the smaller wireless video cameras in the world,” the post says, “capable of taking a day’s worth of Snaps on a single charge, and we integrated it seamlessly into a fun pair of sunglasses.”
The sunglasses, or Spectacles, will be launched this fall in limited release at the price point of $130. “We’re going to take a slow approach to rolling them out,” Snap Inc. CEO Evan Spiegel said. “It’s about us figuring out if it fits into people’s lives and seeing how they like it.”
For the price, Spectacles are pretty impressive
The shades, which are one-size-fits all, will come in black, teal, or coral colors. Spectacles will let you tap the glasses’ rim to instantly record ten seconds of video, and three taps will record a maximum of 30 seconds. The sunglasses will have a light on the front which will alert people that you are recording.
“Spectacles connect directly to Snapchat via Bluetooth or WiFi and transfer your Memories directly into the app in our brand new circular video format [which] plays full screen on any device, in any orientation,” Snap Inc. said on its website.
The video is captured with a 115-degree wide view lens in a circular format (just like we see in real life!) that can be watched full-screen on a phone in any orientation. The video is stored on the sunglasses themselves, which can then be wirelessly transferred to a phone over WiFi or Bluetooth. Users then have the ability to edit and share via Snapchat (or Snap?) later. The batteries on the device should last a day, and come with a portable charging case, allowing users to get up to four full recharges.
Will Spectacles change the future of social media?
The video advertisement, recently uploaded to YouTube, shows a group of happy millennials enjoying a perfect summer day on their skateboards, to the tune of Tame Impala’s The Less I Know The Better, storing the day’s Memories via Spectacles.
“Imagine one of your favorite memories,” the Snap.com post reads. “What if you could go back and see that memory the way you experienced it?”
Is Snap Inc. the only company cool enough to possibly dismantle the Google Glass stigma? Many people think that “computers” you wear on your face as awkward, useless, and a threat to privacy. Can Snap Inc. show off the masterful marketing and smooth execution required to produce a product that won’t die on store shelves or desk drawers?
While an official release date for the Snapchat sunglasses has not yet been announced, Snap Inc. says that we can expect them soon.
