snapchat 'spectacles' record + share memories through connected sunglasses

snapchat has recently announced a host of updates to its brand, changing its name and developing its first piece of wearable technology. the social media tech giant has rebranded as ‘snap inc.’ — a transition that reflects the company’s path forward into ventures beyond ‘chatting’ online. one such project is ‘spectacles’, a pair of connected sunglasses that allow users to film their surroundings and instantly upload the resulting movies to their user profiles, making it more ‘easy to create memories.’

introducing ‘spectacles’
video courtesy of spectacles

the snap ‘spectacles‘ look like a pair of ordinary sunglasses, but pack one of the world’s smallest wireless video cameras into its frames. able to capture a day’s worth of snaps on a single charge, the eyewear is available in 3 different colors — glossy black, bright blue and neon orange. ‘spectacles’ connect directly to a user’s social media profile via bluetooth or wi-fi and transfer ‘memories’ into the app in a new circular video format. these films plays full screen on any device, in any orientation, and captures the human perspective with a 115 degree field of view. 

the two announcements reflect a new direction for the tech brand, as the team explained in a statement: when we were just getting started it made sense to name our company snapchat inc., because snapchat was our only product! now that we are developing other products, like spectacles, we need a name that goes beyond just one product – but doesn’t lose the familiarity and fun of our team and brand.