Snapchat Spectacles, the video-recording sunglasses launched earlier this year by Snap Inc., the parent company of the social media app Snapchat, look (at first glance) to have a much different future than that of Google Glass and similar products that never quite took off.
The Spectacles shoot 10-second video from the eyepiece and upload directly to Snapchat. While the technology isn’t remarkable (you’ll get much better video from your iPhone, for instance, especially in low light), the integration with the app, hip look of the glasses, low price ($129), and innovative rollout (the Spectacles have largely been made available only through vending machine-like “Snapbots” placed at minimally publicized, random locations, such as the bottom of the Grand Canyon) give the hype around this particular piece of wearable tech a very different look. The Spectacles are irreverent and fun, and many people are watching to see how the Spectacles will fare this holiday season.
