Snap, the company behind Snapchat, released the second generation of its Spectacles. That is a wearable video camera that captures short clips that can be synced to a smartphone. The new version also takes still photos and is designed to be water-resistant. The new Spectacles sport the same basic Ray-Ban style design as the first iteration, but they have been slimmed down and are less bulky. A good thing in both is wearing the glasses and transporting them. In addition, users have more color options. The result of the makeover is that the new version looks much more like an actual pair of sunglasses than a wearable video camera.
The connectivity between the device and the user’s handset has been improved, making it easier to share videos and still photos. The Spectacles can also create an ad hoc WiFi network for sharing content to mobile phones. The Spectacles are available for order in the United States, Canada, the UK and France for US$150. As with the original model, the new Spectacles are compatible with devices running Google’s Android OS and Apple’s iOS. With the second-generation Spectacles, users can record 10-second videos. There are options to record 20-second or 30-second videos as well. The new Spectacles offers a video resolution of 1216 x 1216. It isn’t high definition, but it still represents a notable improvement in quality. Still photo resolution is an impressive 1642 x 1642.
With the new Spectacles, Snap also has doubled down in terms of audio. In addition to the single microphone that is meant to record the wearer, the new version of the glasses includes a second mic to record anyone close to the wearer.
