Snap, Inc. has announced that their Snapchat Spectacles will be available for purchase on a new website set up for the express purpose of selling the glasses. For $130, the Spectacles (available in blue, black, and red) will record ten-second long videos for the Snapchat app at the touch of a button on their frames.
A wireless video camera just above the lenses does the recording, while a light turns on around the lens to indicate that the glasses are filming. The clips can then be edited and shared in the app, either as Snapchat messages or as part of the user’s Snapchat Story.
When not in use, the glasses’ bright yellow case acts as a charging port fort the Spectacles.
Availability of Snapchat Spectacles
Initially, the Spectacles were only available from vending machines known as “Snapbots” (whose unique one-eyed design some people say brings to mind the Minion characters from the Despicable Me movies) that appeared in select cities across the United States. The company says that they will continue to place Snapbots in various locations so people will still be able to buy the glasses in person, but The New York City pop-up store selling them was closed as the Spectacles became available online.
Launched in November of 2016, Spectacles were an immediate hit. The first pairs were available exclusively at the first Snapbot to show up, in Venice Beach, CA.
Early on, pairs from the Venice Beach Snapbot listed on eBay for as high as US$900.
Market Value
In spite of all of the hype surrounding the Snapchat Spectacles, Snap, Inc. has said that the glasses are not actually generating revenue for the company. According to a recent IPO filed for the company, Spectacles are yet to turn a profit for Snap.
Snap Inc. went public earlier this week, setting off a 44% surge in their stock value within the first day of being on the market. The company is reported to now be valued at over $28 billion. It’s hard to say how much the release of Snapchat Spectacles contributed to the perceived value of Snap, Inc., regardless of how much actual money they have made from sales.
