Snapchat Spectacles were all the rage when they were first introduced a little over a year ago. Snap Inc.'s first hand at selling actual hardware, Spectacles were essentially video sunglasses that recorded footage and wirelessly sent it back your smartphone for sharing. Think Google Glass without any of the actual smarts and somehow much more fugly.
Snap Inc. was able to build hype for the sunglasses by selling them from specially made vending machines that would popup around the US. People would line up for hours just for the chance to buy a coveted pair, where they were sometimes resold online for up to quadruple their retail price.
Just because sales of the wearable have dwindled — reportedly leaving behind warehouses full of unsold product — it doesn't mean Snap Inc. is ready to quit on their high tech eye wear. Sources from Cheddar are claiming that Snap Inc. will give things another go this year with an updated version of the product, along with a more "ambitious" dual camera variant due out next year.
Snapchat Spectacles version 2 will reportedly launch sometime this fall, complete with new color options to hopefully entice Millennials obsessed with themselves sharing their lives with friends and family. It seems not too much will change from a hardware perspective, with Snap focusing more on improving the performance and stability of the eye wear. With hundreds of thousands of product left unsold, it makes sense to recycle these and possibly recoup some of those costs.
As for the dual-camera variant due out next year, this will be the proper update to the hardware with Spectacles version 3 carrying a more premium water-proof aluminum design, circular frames, GPS, and leather case. The dual camera will allow the device to record "3D-like depth effects," likely used for augmented reality stickers or something along those lines? Of course, with a more premium design comes a higher sticker price as well, with Spectacles version 3 reaching upwards of $300 retail — more than double the cost of the original model.
The toughest parts about selling wearable technology — especially sunglasses — is making it fashionable enough for both sexes. We'll have to wait and see what Snapchat is planning for version 2 and 3 of Spectacles but it seems we haven't seen the last of them yet.
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