Snap Spectacles could be just a fad as VR cameras improve

[Greg S]

Moving from hard-to-find vending machines into online and retail stores, Snap's Spectacles may not be doing so well after all. According to a second quarter earnings statement, Snap's sunglasses with embedded cameras sold around 41,500 pairs good for $5.4 million at their $130 asking price.

Compared to the first quarter, this is a 35% decline, down from 64,000 pairs of Spectacles and $8.3 million in sales. It's not all over for Snapchatters who enjoy using the glasses, though. Snap only recently started selling the Spectacles on Amazon and will not disclose any earnings figures there until the end of the third quarter.

Regardless of sales numbers, the use of glasses to capture VR-like footage is likely to be just a small blip in the overall use of virtual reality cameras. The Spectacles seem to be much more of a fashion accessory than a piece of technology that anyone seriously interested in VR could pass right by.

360 cameras and semi-autonomous quadcopters are much more likely to gain widespread use for creating quality footage and still images. Even considering the fact that Snap's Spectacles are only truly meant for social media, it makes little sense that heavy social media users will continue using a moderately priced fashion piece with mediocre gadgetry. Eventually, celebrities and other heavy social media users will switch over to higher quality products that can produce more true to life results.

It should be noted that the Spectacles do not provide augmented or virtual reality to the end user. Unlike Google Glass or Microsoft's HoloLens, Spectacles don't provide any additional benefits to the wearer. Having something easier to carry around in all weather and seasons such as a pocket sized 360 camera is a much more appealing option.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/70539-snap-spectacles-could-fad-vr-cameras-improve.html

 

[Uncle Al]

Paying attention to the constant interaction of somebody with these glasses is about as appealing as watching one more "reality" TV show. It seems we are so fascinated with everybody else's lives that we don't bother to live our own. I would love to be in the position to impose constant, 24/365 surveillance on every member of Congress & the Senate, constantly broadcasting their every embarrassing and humiliating move to the voters and see just how long it would take before we started seeing laws that would guarantee individual privacy. Blame it on the framers of the Constitution as you should, but in as much as there were no camera's, cell phones, video, streaming video, etc, etc they could not have known .... and as technology continues to expand, it will only get worse.

Not opposed to technology, just wishing there was more consideration and legal protection for those that don't want to be the subject matter for every voyeur out there .....

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

With their goofy looks and stupid asking price could they ever have been anything more than just a fad? The whole VR/AR business is still nothing more than a novelty to the average consumer although that will probably change in the future but nothing is ever set in stone.