Snap is back: Spectacles v2 (or “The Definition of Insanity...”)

Remember when @TheFLP first pointed out the Snapchat Spectacles debacle? The Venice, CA based social media runner Snap, Inc. was saddled with truckloads of unsold Spectacles camera glasses.

As many tech companies are wont to do, Snap, Inc. firmly embraced the “Never leave a failed idea alone until you’ve twisted it into a complete catastrophe” mantra. A couple weeks ago they launched Spectacles v2.

Gone are pop up vending machines and the $130 buy-in. Spectacles v2 are exclusively available to purchase in the Snapchat app, or on the company’s website priced at $150.

Snap says they’ve learned a few things, now claiming Spectacles v1 was intended as a limited experiment to judge public interest and focus direction for the company’s future hardware offerings. With a narrower field of view and $20 higher admission price, they believe they’ve reached the Nirvana of the “give less, charge more” Apple-like business model.

To be fair, Spectacles v2 do offer improvements compared to v1. Wifi connectivity, photo option (v1 didn’t take still photos) water resistance, slightly improved design and more reasonable colour options (including choice of lighter or darker lens, plus a prescription lens option) are available through a less restrictive distribution channel. Still included are the charging case, though v2 is reported to be slightly smaller and lighter than v1.

Unfortunately the hardware is still exclusively limited to use within Snapchat’s media environment. You can only view recorded video within the app, and cannot easily export recordings to other formats.

Have Snap, Inc. got it right this go? In an environment of fickle consumer and rapidly evolving social media tastes, only time can tell.