It is no secret that I’m somewhat Snapchat obsessed. So on a recent trip to New York I immediately hunted down a Snapbot and purchased a pair of the company’s latest offering: Spectacles. You might be asking what Spectacles are. Never fear, I made a quick YouTube video to walk you through what they are. Get up to speed and watch it quickly:
Right, now that we know what Spectacles are – there are probably a few things you don’t know about this somewhat gimmicky gadget. So to keep you in the loop and up to speed, here are 5 things you did not know about Snapchat Spectacles:
Snapchat is no more
Well, the app is still there but the company has rebranded to Snap Inc. The CEO, Evan Spiegel, says the company is far more than just the app and the rebranding is meant to encompass that. It also now describes itself as a camera company. By launching Spectacles the company spread its wings a bit encompassing gadgets and wearables. This is a move away from being just an app but rather a lifestyle technology company. I think it also speaks to a potential expansion on the video recording equipment they’ve introduced with the Spectacles. Spiegel also happens to be the youngest billionaire at 26. His upbringing and rise to success is an interesting read if that sort of stuff entertains you.
Where to buy Spectacles
While you might be able to jump on to Amazon and pick up a pair at a pretty penny – the truth is that there is only way to get your hands on a pair of Spectacles and that is via a Snapbot. The bots are pop up vending machines that appear in various locations around the United States of America. You’ll need to log in to the spectacles.com website regularly which will release a count down clock which, when it reaches zero, announces the next pop up spot. The spectacles cost $130 from a Snapbot or roughly 100 pounds. I was lucky, there was a Snapbot in New York when I was there. I had to stand in a queue to purchase. No word yet on when the Spectacles will be available in other countries.
The videos Spectacles record can be shared on other platforms
The videos you record using your Snapchat Spectacles aren’t exclusive to Snapchat. When you load them on your phone you’ll be able to open Snapchat, open the video to edit and then download it to your phone or share to other social platforms. Unfortunately they won’t offer the same 180 view on Facebook or YouTube. Instead they’ll appear as circular videos which, according to Snap Inc, is the way our eyes see footage. The videos are still best viewed on Snapchat, where you can tilt your phone to see the immersive view they record.
How do I know when a snap is filmed via Spectacles?
Lots of my Snapchat friends mentioned that they’re now tilting their phones in every single one of my snaps. Stop that. If you want to know if a snap is recorded with Spectacles just look at the top left hand corner under the name of the Snapper. There will be a time when the Snap was recorded and, if they are shot with the Snapchat Spectacles it will say “with Spectacles”. So, for example, “8h ago from Spectacles.” If someone is wearing the Spectacles you’ll know they’re recording because the camera will have a light circle around it.
Android imports in HD
You might have seen in my video that when importing on to an iPhone you need to follow a few extra steps to ensure your videos are imported in HD. However, if you have an Android phone the Spectacles recordings import in HD automatically.
I really thought these were pretty gimmicky when first launched. However, now that I’ve owned a pair I’m absolutely in love. The premise of the gadget is simple. Sunglasses that record video. Snap Inc did one thing and they did it bloody well. I’m excited to see what comes next.
