Snapchat, one of the most popular social media apps, is now trying its hands at hardware projects by introducing glasses that can record videos called the Spectacles.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the CEO of Snapchat has rechristened the company from Snapchat to Snap Inc. to incorporate the new product since the company now has a hardware device, which goes beyond its chat facility. The chat app will still retain the name Snapchat.
The Spectacles recalls the Google Glass which was Google’s maiden venture into eyewear, which was capable of taking photos and videos. But the Google Glass had a screen which costs $1,500 and allows the user to surf the web as well. However, Google sealed that product early in 2015 as it had received a lukewarm response from the users.
Snap Inc. is taking an affordable and a playful path to video capture by using wearable eyewear, which claims to better than the Google Glass. The first glance of Spectacles gives the impression of a regular, rounded, bright-colored sunglass with oversized hinges. The glasses are mounted on one side with a wide-angle camera which will record a 10-second video.
The Spectacles from Snapchat will be available in the fall on a limited basis in the U.S. It will be priced at $129.99. The glasses will be available right now in three colors of black, coral, and teal.
The New Way of Capturing Videos
Spectacles are the first hardware product from Snapchat, which is a Los Angeles-based company. The glasses have been introduced with a standalone aim of filming videos.
The Spectacles can record a video clip of about 10 seconds at a time, by pressing the button that is fixed on the glass frame. The resolution of the camera lens is not known yet and the captured videos can be stored on the glasses itself. By following subsequent taps, the video recordings can be synced and uploaded to the Snapchat app on your mobile devices, wirelessly via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
The camera lens of the glasses is 115 degrees, which is wider than that of a typical iPhone, allowing recording a circular video i.e. the video can be played in a full-screen mode in any orientation on any device, to fit more stuff into the frame.
You Will Not Need Carry Your Charger Everywhere
According to Snap Inc., the battery of the glasses is good to capture snaps for a whole day on a single charge. They bring along a case to hold the glasses which doubles up as power pack for the battery. You can get the battery to be fully charged up to four times from the case.
Makes You Aware While Being Filmed
The one idea which everyone might be vivid about having glasses with a camera is that they might be photographed without their knowledge. Snap Inc. is taking no chances with such issues and has reported that Spectacles makes it crystal clear while a video is being filmed. The glasses will have the ring of lights around the camera to gleam up when you are recording.
Is This Enough To Make Spectacles a User-Favorite
It has not been long since the Glasses from Google had been yanked out from it virtual reality shelves. The users seem to be more comfortable taking selfies, so the Spectacles might not be a hit instantly. However, these glasses from Snap Inc. have a more playful side which stands tall on the fashion charts, with their bright colors and goofy appearance, which might take back some of the possible backlashes.
Snap is portraying the glasses more as a toy, as it is venturing out to expand its reign from being merely a chat app to introducing hardware devices. If there is an unexpected adverse reaction to these glasses from the users, then the ephemeral social messaging app company can always go back to concentrating on just its chat app or try its hands at something less controversial.
Snap Inc. has not said anything specific about the Spectacles other than that it will be available soon. It is not even clear at this stage about how many pieces it will be introducing for sale. Snap Inc. was not available to respond to any of the comments.