Snapchat Makes a Spectacle
If you’re lucky enough to snag a pair of Spectacles, the newest tech-entertainment creation by Snapchat, you know that the glasses look more like your favorite new lenses than Snapchat’s answer to a more interactive user experience.
The glasses have a rounded, ‘60s-deco look, available in black, teal and coral. If you look closely, you will see the outer corners contain yellow circles, one of which contains a camera. When you press the button on the left temple of the glasses, the left circle beams a white light, letting the user know that the recording has begun. Each button press allots ten seconds of video recording, which you can access from your Snapchat account on your phone.
Don’t go looking for your Spectacles in stores, though. These hyped-up glasses are only available through SnapBot Machines, which contain 200 Spectacles and are dropped off in undisclosed locations until they run out. The latest machine was spotted Tuesday near Tulsa, OK.
“I think it would be really fun to take them to my cheer practice and try stunting with them,” says Lexi Vollero, a freshman in Weinberg. Vollero will use her glasses on the move, where hands aren’t as welcome. “It’s like a go pro without hands. In theory, it would be fun to go kayaking with them on or skateboarding, which we do a lot of back home [in California],” Vollero says.
The Spectacle truly creates a hands-free sharing experience-- every video is saved and you can then upload at your own discretion.
Wearable tech is nothing new. Over the past few years, consumers have seen the rise (and fall) of Google Glass, the increased popularity of Apple Watch and FitBit, and even references of technology in fashion design. Designers have created tech accessories for every device, from iPhones to MacBook Pros. Snapchat took the rise and fall of Google Glass into account when creating Spectacles.
Besides Snapchat’s entrance into the wearable tech industry, it’s important to point out that they are freaking cute: “I love the cut, I happen to own coral but the black looks really cool too,” Vollero said. “Snapchat is the thing I use the most, but I’m not sure if it will change my perception about other wearable tech.”
Vollero insists that the success of Spectacles will be because of the success of Snapchat and what it stands for. “I can’t imagine a platform that this would work as well with, because Snapchat wants to be in the moment, genuine, and immediate, and that’s why this works,” Vollero says.
What are the implications? Will designers from Tory Burch to Michael Kors create their own versions of the glasses? At NYFW, will you find editors wearing Spectacles instead of Ray Bans ? Could the newest tech accessory be the Spectacle charging cases?
Models could walk down the runway wearing Spectacles. Designers could use this footage as a part of their promotion material for that season’s lines, giving the clothing the angle that the general public doesn’t usually get to see: straight from the runway.
But, besides that, these fashionable lenses could become a staple for good times at the beach and going on adventures where sunglasses would already be an important accessory.
Tech accessories have popped up in the last five years, now tracking our milage, our heartbeat and even our sleep cycles. But maybe the next move in this industry isn’t as much about learning more about yourself and more about learning more about the experiences of your Snap friends.