The list of improvements between Spectacles V1 and v2 is pretty legit. Photos, not just video. No yellow ring alerting people to the camera (but also: ehh, creeper alert?). Underwater capabilities. More on-point colors with lighter lenses. Prescription options. Faster syncing. A much slimmer frame and charging case.
These are nothing to sneeze at. But… Do you need Snapchat’s Spectacles V2?
According to TechCrunch, Snapchat fixed the biggest pain points of its Spectacles V1 camera sunglasses with Spectacles V2, which released last week in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and France. The company only sold 220,000 pairs of V1, with their limited functionality, tricky exports and (apparently) less on-point color options. V2, on the other hand, is — hopefully, relatively — stylish, convenient and useful enough to actually bring around with you..
But again, do you need these? Well, if you’re really good at Snapchat, maybe.
TechCrunch reported that the V2 version of Spectacles moves the personal-sunglasses-live-stream-camera game bar from “clumsy novelty to creative tool accessible to the mainstream — and amidst user growth struggles, that’s what Snap needs right now.”
SnapChat’s VP of hardware, Mark Randall, told TechCrunch that consumers’ notes on V1 — users wanted to take photos, get their shades in less flashy shades, bring Spectacles to the beach, pair them quicker with better resolution exports and hear less wind noise when moving – basically came down to not wanting something they felt weird wearing. And though “weird” is relative, the fact that people’s Spectacles use really fell off after the first month of ownership is telling.
One less weird “improvement” however actually set off my creeper alert when I saw the new Spectacles design. As TechCrunch also noted, those yellow rings, the obvious indicator that someone’s glasses are also a camera, have been removed from V2. Yes, this might make users feel cooler, but it also makes me feel a bit skeeved out — and I’m not the only one.
“What Snap doesn’t need is a privacy scandal, and that risk is the trade-off it’s making with its more discreet Spectacles design,” TechCrunch wrote. “They still display a little circle of white lights while recording, but with the permanent yellow ring on the corner removed, you might not notice there’s a camera lens there. That could make people a little nervous and creeped out.”
Yellow rings and goofy colors aside, these issues aren’t actually Spectacles’ biggest hold ups. According to TechCrunch, it’s Snapchat itself that’s holding Spectacles back. For instance, you can only sync your Spectacles to Snapchat Memories before exporting videos individually or as one big Story to your camera roll. That makes it a pain to share them elsewhere.
As TechCrunch put it, “If Snap wants to be a hardware giant, it can’t just build accompaniments to its own app. It needs to catch the attention of all kinds of photographers, not just those who already love Snapchat.”
When deciding if you need a new pair of Snap Specs, there are a lot of hardware-level improvements to also consider, but it’s important to note that Spectacles V2 are not revolutionary. They’re not x-ray specs or sci-fi caliber. They’re a general use wearable camera that seems to work great with one platform — which is cool for those Snapchat pros out there.
Spectacles V2 go on sale in thirteen additional European countries on May 3. At $150, the V2s are $20 more than the old version and only available on Snap’s app and site.
Here’s a super cool review video to check out:
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Erika is a sex positive people watcher (and writer). Email her at erika@ynotcam.com.
Image via Audrey Johnson.
