Snapchat's New Feature Will Cost $130 But It's A Massive Game Changer
26 September 2016, 11:36 | Updated: 8 May 2017, 17:09
The future is now, fam.
Snapchat is a ch-ch-changin'. In recent months, the tech darling has cut a few features, added some, and (apparently) begun the arduous process of going public. Snapchat's coolest Autumn addition, however, has to be their newly announced video capture eye wear.
With many of its competitors moving towards "video first" strategies (I'm lookin' at you Facebook and Instagram), it makes sense that Snapchat would strive to make itself a one stop shop for video savvy young adults.
The eye wear, called "Spectacles" was announced late last week and will be Snapchat's first hardware offering.
Their trajectory can be likened to that of tech giants like Google and Amazon who got their start purely online before moving adventurously towards mobile, home, and wearable devices.
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So what do you need to know about Snapchat's new eye wear?
Cost: They're going to cost about $130 in the US (£100 if you're in the UK)
Features: The glasses' camera runs about a 115 degree field of view (think VR) and will give users a hands free experience.
How does it work?: The hardware will allow users to sync wirelessly to their smart phone. Video can be recorded in 10 second increments.
When can you get it?: Well, that's where things get a bit hazy. Snapchat founder Evan Spiegal says the glasses are coming this Autumn but don't expect them to just be available at your local Target store. "We’re going to take a slow approach to rolling them out," Spiegel tells The Wall Street Journal.
What exactly does that mean?
We're assuming the eyewear will be released to a very limited amount of people to start, likely VIPs (think Kylie Jenner and her ilk). Try and remember back to the early days of Google Glass when one of the first people to rock them was Diane Von Furstenberg. Don't be surprised if the glasses are made available to a few heavy hitting YouTubers to start with.
Christmas is right around the corner so, if Snapchat decides to widen its roll out efforts, there is a very real chance you could find these "Spectacles" under your Christmas tree.
