Just in time for spring, Snap has released a new version of its original Spectacles, after FCC filings unveiled a bit more about the upcoming pair of camera sunglasses. You’ll also be happy to know, if you wrote them off entirely due to their garish appearance, that you made the right choice. These Spectacles look more like a remaster than a sequel. Also, they’re still ugly as sin.
While they are thinner than the previous pair of Spectacles, they still look like a pair of glasses you’d win in a carnival game. They’re available in three colors (red, blue, and black), each featuring two different lens color options, with support for prescription and polarized lenses through a partnership with Lensabl. They’re also water-resistant, a nice touch considering how out and about you’ll be with these.
The technology inside appears to have received somewhat of an overhaul, on the other hand. Snap’s first pair of Spectacles suffered from slow Wi-Fi, confusing video recording options, and a bulky frame. The new Spectacles still have a single lens that automatically records HD video, with enough room for up to 70 videos (as well as hundreds of photos).
The new design ditches the bold yellow ring surrounding the camera lens and just relies on an LED ring to indicate an active recording. There’s also improved Wi-Fi for video transfers “up to four times faster,” according to Snap’s announcement. There’s still a single button for recording videos and capturing photos. Still, I’m not entirely sure how I feel about them until I get them on my face.
To be quite honest, I’m struggling to understand why they still look so damn bad. Whether Snap is working on a second, higher-end pair as reported by Cheddar is besides the point. And while Snap certainly appears to have made improvements in this second take, there aren’t any compelling new features to get amped up about. If you didn’t want to buy Spectacles before, why on earth would you want them now?
Then again, considering the $150 price point as well as the audience Snapchat is aiming for (see: teens who don’t listen to Rihanna), and the Spectacles’ acetate frame helping the company keep prices reasonable enough, this isn’t for style-conscious Snapchat fans. It’s for kids, teens, and festival-goers who need yet another way to capture Beychella.