Snapchat maker Snap has unveiled new Spectacles that the company says will be more comfortable to wear — and more capable.
Like the predecessor, the new Snapchat Spectacles are glasses you wear to capture moments and instantly share them on Snapchat. But unlike the previous model, which only allowed you to record video, the new Spectacles support both photos and video. A single tap on the Spectacles’ button will start recording. When you press and hold the button, you’ll be able to snap a photo.
Aside from that, Snap’s new Spectacles have been redesigned to be more comfortable when you wear them. And since they’re water-resistant, Snap is encouraging owners to wear and use them around shallow water.
The new Snap Spectacles are the second generation of the company’s wearable. But although the first-generation Spectacles model was generally well-received among those who bought it, the Spectacles didn’t sell as well as Snap had hoped, and the company was ultimately forced to write down nearly $40 million in Spectacles. In total, Snap sold 220,000 first-generation Spectacles.
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The second-generation Spectacles Snap unveiled Thursday appear to try to address some of the problems in the first model. The new Spectacles are now more comfortable and, thanks to improved transfer speeds, you should be able to see the content you capture in your Snapchat Memories section far more quickly than in the previous model. And, since the Spectacles now capture video content in HD, they should deliver better-looking visuals than those produced by the first-generation Spectacles.
Whether customers will take to Snapchat’s new Spectacles more than the first-generation model, however, is anyone’s guess.
The new Snap Spectacles are available now on Spectacles.com. They cost $150 — $20 more than the first-generation version.
