- Snap unveiled a new version of its Spectacles camera glasses on Thursday.
- The latest model is a bit slimmer, $20 more expensive, can take photos, offers prescription lenses for an additional fee, and is water resistant.
Snap, Snapchat’s parent company, launched a new version of its camera glasses, Spectacles, on Thursday.
The new model is slightly slimmer, can take photos, and they’re water-resistant, Snap said in a release.
“Tap the button to record video with new and improved audio, and now, you can press and hold to take a photo! Snaps you capture will transfer to Snapchat up to four times faster, and always in HD,” according to the Snap release.
The first version of Spectacles only sold about 150,000 pairs, despite heavy early hype, and Snap was forced to take a $40 million writedown. But Snap says it is a camera company, and it is moving forward with its only hardware camera product.
They cost $149.99, a $20 increase over the first version. You can buy them now at Spectacles.com.
Here's how Spectacles work:
Spectacles are a pair of camera glasses. Just tap the button on the left side to take a photo or video.
"Press the button to record a 10-second video. Press again to keep recording up to 30 seconds. Press and hold to take a photo," Snap explains.
There's a small camera embedded at the left temple of the glasses.
When it's taking a photo or video, LEDs on the right temple light up.
A closer look at the glasses lighting up.
Snap angles Spectacles as a way to take hands-free videos while you're having fun.
Spectacles take circular-shaped images that your phone can view in both portrait and landscape mode.
Like this.
The glasses charge in their case. Snap says you can record 70 videos on a single charge.
The first version of Spectacles only sync with Snapchat — not Instagram, for example — and it looks like this version will carry on that tradition. However, you can export Spectacles Snaps into your camera roll to share elsewhere.
They work with any device running the latest version of Snapchat.
The Spectacles come in three colors each with two different lens options.
And you can get them with prescription lenses too! Prescription lenses cost an additional $125. Buy them here for $275.
Here's the full Snap video announcing the new Spectacles:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qpbyj-hz05s