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Snapchat Reportedly Doubling Down on Spectacles With Two New Versions in the Works

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In late 2016, Snapchat launched its first consumer product with the Spectacles, a pair of glasses that came equipped with a small camera that could record video clips from a first-person perspective and upload them to a Story on the iOS and Android Snapchat app. Although the company ultimately took a $40 million loss on the Spectacles, a new report from live news show Cheddar today claims that Snapchat is doubling down on the product and is working on two new versions of Spectacles.

Specifically, a second generation model is said to be coming as soon as this fall and is "currently being manufactured," according to people familiar with the company's plans. This model will be water resistant, have bug fixes, performance improvements, and new color options, but otherwise won't have any "dramatic changes."

snapchat-spectacles.jpg

After that model debuts, Snapchat is planning "a more ambitious version" for 2019 that is described as featuring an all-new design, built-in GPS, two camera lenses, and more advanced camera technology within each lens to fuel "3D-like depth effects in videos." While the first Spectacles ran for $130, the third generation pair could cost up to $300.

Notably, both versions could also feature augmented reality abilities and potentially compete with the "Apple Glasses," if that product becomes reality.
Snap intends for future versions of Spectacles to incorporate AR capabilities, like integration with Snapchat's virtual Bitmoji avatars and animated lenses. Nearly every major tech company, from Apple to Facebook, is working on similar AR eyewear.

Snap CEO Evan Spiegel has said publicly that selling hardware will be an important part of his business in roughly a decade. People familiar with his thinking said that he sees augmented reality, or the overlaying of virtual objects onto the physical world, as the next paradigm shift in personal computing.
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In addition to the news of potential updates to Spectacles, Snapchat is also now rumored to be holding conversations with major glasses companies like Luxottica and Warby Parker. This could lead to Snapchat licensing out its Spectacles-based camera technology to other companies, so that users could buy more traditional looking glasses and still have access to frames that connect to their Snapchat.

Apple is rumored to be entering the smart glasses field, although the company's product at this point in the rumor cycle is described as focusing mainly on augmented reality and not taking images or recording video. Still, the product is said to be in early experimental stages and could change as Apple tries to determine the "most compelling application." In January, Apple representatives reportedly met with suppliers who make the type of parts required to power such AR "Apple Glasses," which could launch by 2020.

Article Link: Snapchat Reportedly Doubling Down on Spectacles With Two New Versions in the Works
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2018/03/02/snapchat-spectacles-new-versions/
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Share every boring thing you do, every uninteresting meal you eat with your friend! Also ruin every sport game or concert you go to by constantly raising your phone to take and receive Snaps (or in this case, use a pair of spectacles)!
 
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tzm41 said:
Share every boring thing you do, every uninteresting meal you eat with your friend!
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Sounds like what most kids do now, even without the spectacles. When did watching other people live life become more interesting than going outside and living your own?

And don't even get me started on the YouTube videos where you watch other people play video games while making insipid comments. It's worse than being forced to watch an episode of Gilmore Girls with all of it's mind-numbing dialogue.

/rant
 
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MacRumors said:



In late 2016, Snapchat launched its first consumer product with the Spectacles, a pair of glasses that came equipped with a small camera that could record video clips from a first-person perspective and upload them to a Story on the iOS and Android Snapchat app. Although the company ultimately took a $40 million loss on the Spectacles, a new report from live news show Cheddar today claims that Snapchat is doubling down on the product and is working on two new versions of Spectacles.

Specifically, a second generation model is said to be coming as soon as this fall and is "currently being manufactured," according to people familiar with the company's plans. This model will be water resistant, have bug fixes, performance improvements, and new color options, but otherwise won't have any "dramatic changes."

snapchat-spectacles.jpg

After that model debuts, Snapchat is planning "a more ambitious version" for 2019 that is described as featuring an all-new design, built-in GPS, two camera lenses, and more advanced camera technology within each lens to fuel "3D-like depth effects in videos." While the first Spectacles ran for $130, the third generation pair could cost up to $300.

Notably, both versions could also feature augmented reality abilities and potentially compete with the "Apple Glasses," if that product becomes reality.
In addition to the news of potential updates to Spectacles, Snapchat is also now rumored to be holding conversations with major glasses companies like Luxottica and Warby Parker. This could lead to Snapchat licensing out its Spectacles-based camera technology to other companies, so that users could buy more traditional looking glasses and still have access to frames that connect to their Snapchat.

Apple is rumored to be entering the smart glasses field, although the company's product at this point in the rumor cycle is described as focusing mainly on augmented reality and not taking images or recording video. Still, the product is said to be in early experimental stages and could change as Apple tries to determine the "most compelling application." In January, Apple representatives reportedly met with suppliers who make the type of parts required to power such AR "Apple Glasses," which could launch by 2020.

Article Link: Snapchat Reportedly Doubling Down on Spectacles With Two New Versions in the Works
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I hope they aren’t actually as stupid as to increase the price. They should be focusing on increasing technology while keeping the same price or lowering it. The more accessible it is the more mainstream it’s gonna go. No one wants gps in some damn glasses everyone with one of these has a phone
 
Ain’t no one gonna buy these unless they revert their interface. Snapchat died last week, no one posts stories anymore, no one uses it.
 
Double the fail.

Maybe I should look into building warehouses that they can keep their unsold stock in. That is the only "win" from this debacle.
 
Schranke said:
I do not get it... maybe I am becoming to old...
But what management team thought that this would be a god idea?
It just seams so limited in its usage
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You’re right, they don’t take pictures that save to your camera roll, and they don’t record video longer than 15 seconds. I could think of some good uses, but not in its limited “Snapchat only” form.
 
As someone whose kids wear real glasses, I'm not looking forward to the day their legitimate glasses get banned from the locker room because some idiot with one of these camera glasses from some insipid designer wears them in to surreptitiously take pictures to embarrass someone on social media. It's bad enough they manage to get cellphones in to dressing rooms for that purpose.
 
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GrumpyMom said:
As someone whose kids wear real glasses, I'm not looking forward to the day their legitimate glasses get banned from the locker room because some idiot with one of these camera glasses from some insipid designer wears them in to surreptitiously take pictures to embarrass someone on social media. It's bad enough they manage to get cellphones in to dressing rooms for that purpose.
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On the Staten Island ferry a few weeks ago a tourist was filming inside, panning around the seating area with his camcorder, then pausing, all the while filming people. The guy opposite to me went massively off on one at him, clearly not at all happy about being filmed.

The camera was put away and it was over, but I can imagine a lot more of that and it becoming violent with these.

I can think of 100's, if not 1000's of reasons not to have these glasses. I cannot however think of a single good reason to have them. I would not be at all happy about being looked at by people wearing these. Has anyone seen this Black Mirror episode?

I suppose when you get punched in the face, it'll help the police with their enquiries. Well, what do you know - I can think of a good reason!
 
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Sharkoneau said:
What a joke of a company this is. After releasing an update that’s nearly universally hated by everyone outside of the marketing team, they try to breathe life into this corpse of a product. When you choose not to learn your lessons, you go belly up.
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I bought a pair of Spectacles when they went on sale on their website instead of in those vending machines. I do wear them pretty much every day, although I typically forget that they have a camera on them unless I'm doing some fun outdoor things. I used to get remarks on them from people, but not so much recently, I guess the fad is fading.
 
I just deleted Snapchat and I haven’t looked back. Nothing I cannot do on Instagram (which sucks for its own reasons: order). Reach is bigger anyway
 
GrumpyMom said:
As someone whose kids wear real glasses, I'm not looking forward to the day their legitimate glasses get banned from the locker room because some idiot with one of these camera glasses from some insipid designer wears them in to surreptitiously take pictures to embarrass someone on social media. It's bad enough they manage to get cellphones in to dressing rooms for that purpose.
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Right, because nobody can easily do that now in a locker room with a phone?

http://www.tmz.com/2017/02/09/dani-mathers-locker-room-pic-district-attorney/

And that's not even the worst of it ... there are already spy cameras in all manner of objects that someone can take into a locker room concealed if they want to do this.

As the Dani Mathers case proves, there are laws to prosecute those who would do what you suggest some people may. So, no they're not going to ban people who legitimately wear glasses, because Spectacles exist.

Just like everywhere else on the Earth, everyone needs to exercise personal responsibility to know their surroundings in common public spaces, even in their own homes, and when the unthinkable happens, the law will punish those who have violated your privacy, regardless of where it occurs -- that is the deterrent -- not banning legitimate eyeglasses.
 
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