Snapchat has unveiled its latest generation of Spectacles, with the hallmark feature this year being the introduction of augmented reality. It's a huge departure from past Spectacles, and it marks an interesting change in direction for Snap's approach to hardware.
Spectacles were first introduced to the world in November 2016. They were sunglasses with a built-in camera that could take photos and short videos, with that footage being synced to the Snapchat app for users to share. Despite that first model being plagued with sluggish performance and limited availability for its first few months, it proved successful enough for Snap to launch two successors. Spectacles 2 and 3 kept the same general idea of the first Spectacles while offering various improvements, such as new designs and higher-quality cameras. With this latest generation of Spectacles, Snap is entering a whole new ballgame.
Simply referred to as 'Next Generation Spectacles,' the main focus of this latest model is to allow users to view AR content directly through the glasses. Snap achieves this by using "dual 3D waveguide displays." The displays automatically adjust brightness as users go indoors and out, reaching a maximum brightness of up to 2000 nits. Also, while there are two RGB cameras on Next Generation Spectacles, these are used for enabling AR functionality — not capturing quick photos to share with friends. Instead, Snap expects people to use its Lens Studio creation tool, create AR experiences with that, and then test them on Spectacles in real-time. Simply put, this is a much different use case than Spectacles 3 (which are still available for purchase). Spectacles 3 don't have built-in displays of any kind, instead acting as sunglasses with two cameras near the lenses. Those two cameras allow users to capture 3D photos and videos that can easily be shared on Snapchat, and while it's impressive, the 3D content here is considerably more basic compared to the AR content Snap wants people to create with the new Spectacles. Also, there's a clear difference in design between the two gadgets. Where Spectacles 3 are surprisingly fashionable, Next Generation Spectacles look like a cheap pair of 3D glasses at first glance.
The New Spectacles Aren't Available For Purchase Yet
Outside of features and design, there's another big factor that separates Next Generation Spectacles and Spectacles 3 — availability. Spectacles 3 are still available for purchase for $380, with Snap allowing anyone to buy them. By comparison, these latest Spectacles can't be purchased quite yet. Snap is initially selecting a small number of AR creators to test them out, and it's unclear if/when Next Generation Spectacles will be available to the masses.
While these latest Spectacles might be disappointing for folks hoping for a direct successor to Spectacles 3, it's exciting to see Snap trying something new with the Spectacles form factor. Spectacles 3 are still a solid product for everyday Snapchat users, and with the new Spectacles, Snap has an industry-grade product that can (hopefully) take its AR tools to the next level.
Source: Snap