Following the mixed acceptance of Spectacles 1 and 2, Snap Inc. is having another go at hands-free, glasses-like cameras. Snapchat Spectates 3 are expected to roll out by the end of 2018, and will sport some premium features at, alas, premium price too.
Gone are the days of huge, single platform niche companies. To cement their name as technology leaders, companies are required to put forward a product to carry a brand. Facebook does it; Snapchat does it too. On the quest to become the ultimate camera company, Snap Inc. came up with Spectacles, cameras clothed as glasses. We are interested in the next, third iteration of Spectacles for one reason – reportedly, they will sport unique Spectacles AR support.
A failure in monetary terms, the original Spectacles were a success in as brand carriers. Even though Snapchat was left with some $40 million worth of hardware unsold in stores, they did put the camera company on the hardware map. The game was on, Spectacles were followed by the second product, a $199 more stylish variant. Snapchat Spectacles 3 are reportedly just round the corner, and for the hefty price of $350. A risky move, no doubt, to increase the new product price now that the trend in AR/VR dictates price drops. What will Snap’s Spectacles 3 offer to justify the handsome sum required for them?
Augmented Reality support for starters. The footage taken by the new Spectacles can be rendered in AR. But before we get too carried away, Spectacles 3 will not be AR glasses. Rather, though Snapchat app, users will be able to run their Spectacles footage through AR lenses. It is more of an AR integration than full-fledged Spectacles AR support. It is still a unique addition, one that is sure to convert people into Spectacle snappers.
AR support aside, the biggest hardware upgrade, and price generator we presume, is an additional camera in Spectacles 3. Its two cameras will be capable of capturing 3D photos, and offer comparable features to what dual camera smartphones give. It’s the dual cameras that will enable Spectacles AR gimmick to work. The design is also overhauled, making the most of its aluminum frame.
Overall, Spectacles 3 sound like a premium device for a premium audience. Who is it for then, since Snapchat is primarily used by teenagers who frowned at the both cheaper versions? Incidentally, Spectacles 3 are also of limited stock, only 24, 000 pairs planned compared to 35, 000 and 52, 000, Spectacles 2 and 1 respectively. To no one really if you ask us. Coming out by the end of this year, they will be a cornerstone, Snapchat’s way of showing what camera glasses can be. Spectacles 3 will be sort of a flagship for all camera glasses out there.
We welcome the Spectacle AR support wholeheartedly, and are excited to see a further development. On the ever-diversifying high-tech AR landscape, Snap Inc. is trying to carve out a space of its own. It’s a bold path, full of fierce and apt competition, but Spectacles 3 are a bet for the future.
