Snapchat Unveils Spectacles 2.0: You Can Shoot Photos Now
Snapchat’s Spectacles camera glasses generated a huge amount of hype when they were slowly released in 2016, but total sales were reportedly disappointing. But that isn’t stopping the company from doubling down on the project: it just announced Spectacles 2.0 with design improvements and the ability to shoot still photos.
While the original Spectacles were limited to recording 10-second snaps by tapping the glasses, Spectacles 2.0 can shoot photos — simply press and hold the button on top of the glasses to trigger the shutter.
Audio in videos has also been improved thanks to dual built-in microphones, and both photos and videos transfer to the service in HD four times faster than before.
Video resolution has been improved to 1216×1216, up from 1088×1088. Photos are captured at about 2.7 megapixels (1642×1642). The onboard storage can hold about 150 videos and 3,000 photos.
Design-wise, the glasses are now slimmer (30% smaller) and more comfortable. What’s more, they’re water resistant, allowing you to bring them to the pool or beach without having to worry about splashes destroying your pricey frames — they can even be used underwater at shallow depths for a few Snaps at a time, the company says.
The charging case that comes with the glasses can provide four full charges while you’re on the go.
Snapchat Spectacles 2.0 are available in Ruby, Onyx, and Sapphire, for $150 ($20 more than the previous version) in the US through Spectacles.com.
