Oh, Snap (Inc.)!
Late last week, Snapchat announced it was rebranding itself as Snap Inc. and introduced a pair of techy sunglasses called Spectacles that will give users a fun new way to record and post photos and video on the app.
The name change isn’t all that shocking to me, as I already call the app “Snap” sometimes, but I was surprised about the debut of the Spectacles.
Snapchat may be losing the “chat,” but is giving users a different perspective: the Specs are like a GoPro for your face. You can take hands-free 10-30 second videos that you wouldn’t be able to capture while holding a phone. For example, a video was posted by Spectacles from a skateboarder’s perspective while wearing the glasses. Wearing the recording device allows the user to still see and experience the event, without the interference of a phone screen.
The glasses feature a camera with a 115-degree lens, with the purpose of mimicking how humans actually see. The new glasses footage also allows both horizontal and vertical modes. Consumers will be able to toggle back and forth between portrait or landscape mode to see different perspectives. Videos that are created using Specs are saved directly to the app on your mobile device using Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.
Just in time for the holiday shopping season, the Spectacles will be available in black, teal or coral colors for $129.99. While these glasses may remind you of Google Glass, marketing executives say they will have a much better outcome.
I still haven’t made my millennial, Snapchat-loving mind up about whether I will purchase the Spectacles or not. I’m still considering what types of activities I would need them for, and whether I really like the available colors or design of the glasses.
Tell us what you think about the new Snap name and Spectacles!