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posted by chromas on Tuesday August 13 2019, @05:59PM   Printer-friendly

Snap announces Spectacles 3 with an updated design and a second HD camera

Snap today announced Spectacles 3, a redesigned version of its augmented reality sunglasses with a sleek new design and an added HD camera to create depth perception. The glasses, which the company has positioned as a limited release, represent Snap's latest effort to build a new computing platform centered on the face. They will go on sale on Spectacles.com in November for $380.

That makes them more than twice as expensive as last year's model, which cost $150. Snap executives say the higher-end version is meant to appeal to a smaller group of "fashion-forward" creative types. It may also be designed to recoup more of its manufacturing costs for the famously money-losing product; Snapchat wrote down nearly $40 million in costs associated with the first version of the glasses after wildly overestimating demand.

The high price of Spectacles 3 will likely limit their appeal, particularly among the high school and college-age students who make up Snapchat's core user base. A Snap spokesperson said this year's model represented a necessary investment in the platform. The company has to figure out a way to do AR computing right, the logic goes, before it can do it cheaply.

Not quite VR180 given the 1216×1216 video.

Previously: Snapchat's Spectacles: A Bad Idea in Hindsight
Snapchat Takes a Second Shot at Wearable Camera "Spectacles"
Snap Gives Spectacles a Face Lift to Look More Like Traditional Sunglasses
Instagram "Influencer" Sued for $90,000 for Not Sufficiently Sporting Snapchat's Spectacles
Snap Will Reportedly Release AR-Enabled Spectacles With Dual Cameras


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  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by DannyB on Tuesday August 13 2019, @07:04PM (2 children)

    by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday August 13 2019, @07:04PM (#879789) Journal

    Having one and only one style makes these instantly recognizable. They need to come in multiple styles, colors, lens shapes, etc.

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    People today are educated enough to repeat what they are taught but not to question what they are taught.
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  • (Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday August 13 2019, @09:03PM (1 child)

    by PartTimeZombie (4827) on Tuesday August 13 2019, @09:03PM (#879827)

    Yeah, that was my thought too.

    Spectacles are personal and when I go to buy some new ones the shop has hundreds of styles, only a few of which appeal to me.

    I don't particularly like either colour on offer here and I'm not sure the shape would suit my face.

    Having said that, as they don't include my prescription so I wouldn't be able to see out of them anyway. Also, lo-res cameras on my face? Why?

    • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Tuesday August 13 2019, @09:33PM

      by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday August 13 2019, @09:33PM (#879834) Journal

      My point was to have enough styles so the glasses are not instantly recognizable. I'm just thinking of the trouble with Google Glass back in ancient times. People getting randomly attacked for using a tech product.

      I do understand that there are irresponsible ways to use these products. But people can do with without special glasses.

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      People today are educated enough to repeat what they are taught but not to question what they are taught.