Snapchat Spectacles, glasses with a camera, coming this fall

Snapchat Spectacles, glasses with a camera, coming this fall

The camera built into Snapchat's "Spectacles" lets you shoot video that shows the world from your point of view.
Spectacles.com

Like to view the world through Snapchat-colored glasses? You'll soon be able to do that for real.

The millennial-friendly messaging service plus social network plus video hub is set to release "Spectacles," its own smart glasses. The specs shoot first-person video clips, or Snaps, that you can transfer directly to the Snapchat app.

The company, which has also renamed itself Snap Inc. to reflect its expansion into consumer hardware, touted the new product Saturday by way of a fashion-friendly website called, appropriately enough, Spectacles.com. It also posted a statement on the new site Snap.com.

"We've created one of the smallest wireless video cameras in the world," the post says, "capable of taking a day's worth of Snaps on a single charge, and we integrated it seamlessly into a fun pair of sunglasses."

Both sites say the specs will arrive "soon." In an article published late Friday by The Wall Street Journal, Snap Inc. CEO Evan Spiegel said the glasses would be available in the fall.

The move is the latest in the continuous effort by tech companies to see into the future and stake out new territory as they jostle for customers and try to keep each other at bay.

Social-media juggernaut Facebook failed to acquire Snapchat three years ago and has watched as the upstart and its video Snaps (until now shot only with smartphones) have seized the imagination of the younger crowd. That's one of the reasons -- along with live-streaming products like Twitter's Periscope -- behind Facebook's strong move into video with its Facebook Live feature. Among other things, the Spectacles product adds another element to the video equation.

Snapchat's $130 camera-toting glasses will come in three colors: coral, teal and black.
Spectacles.com

The specs can record up to 10 seconds of video from the wearer's perspective. Each tap of a button mounted on the frames records another clip, while a ring of tiny lights lets people know you're recording. The camera-glasses use a 115-degree-angle lens that resembles the human eye's natural field of view, the Journal said.

"Spectacles connect directly to Snapchat via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi and transfer your Memories directly into the app in our brand new circular video format [which] plays full screen on any device, in any orientation," Snap Inc. said on its site.

The glasses, which can be recharged in their case, will come in one size and be available on a limited basis. They'll come in three colors -- black, teal and coral -- and, according to the Journal, will cost $129.99 (roughly £100, AU$170).

"We're going to take a slow approach to rolling them out," Spiegel told the paper. "It's about us figuring out if it fits into people's lives and seeing how they like it."

A video ad on the Spectacles site shows a posse of happy millennials enjoying an endless summer to a Beach Boys-y soundtrack -- all while storing up the good vibes via clips shot with the specs.

"Imagine one of your favorite memories," the Snap.com post reads. "What if you could go back and see that memory the way you experienced it?"

The unveiling of the product confirms speculation that followed the leak of a different ad for the glasses, obtained by Business Insider on Friday from a YouTube tipster. It also follows plenty of scuttlebutt about the project.

In 2014, Snapchat bought Vergence Labs, a startup that makes Google Glass-like eyewear that records video of what the wearer sees. In 2015, Snapchat began building Snapchat Research, a team composed of scientists and software engineers specializing in computer vision and machine learning.

In March, CNET's Sean Hollister reported that Snapchat was recruiting hardware experts for a stealthy new project. The social-media firm has never produced physical gear, unless you count merchandise like beach towels and backpacks. It does, however, already count nearly a dozen wearable-technology vets among its ranks.

In addition, Spiegel had been spotted in public wearing prototypes specs.

On any given day, Snapchat reaches 41 percent of all 18- to 34-year-olds in the United States, according to the company.

That's a lot of young consumers that could sport new specs.

First published, September 23, 5:45 p.m. PT.
Update, 8:15 p.m.: Adds information on Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel's confirmation of Spectacles.
Update, September 24, 9:22 a.m., 12:38 p.m.: Recasts top of story, with material from Snap.com and Spectacles.com websites.

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Snap Unveils Pixy, a $230 Pocket-Size Flying Camera Drone

What's happening

Snap unveiled Pixy, a $230 pocket-size flying camera drone that can follow you around.

Why it matters

It's another example of how social media companies are getting more serious about releasing consumer hardware.

What's next

Pixy goes on sale Thursday in the US and France.

Snapchat has a new way for people to capture photos and videos: a flying camera drone called Pixy that fits in the palm of your hand.

The drone goes on sale Thursday on Pixy.com in the US and France, with the price starting at $230. Snap said drones pre-ordered will start to arrive by the end of May. Photos and videos captured on the drone will get downloaded into Snapchat Memories, where users are able to store content for later use.

Pixy is another example of social media companies experimenting with consumer hardware products. Though Snapchat parent company Snap is known for the ephemeral-messaging app, Snap calls itself a camera company. Last year, Snap unveiled its latest pair of Spectacles, AR glasses that let creators overlay digital images onto their view of the real world. There have been rumors for years that Snap has been working on a selfie drone.

Snap unveiled Pixy at its fourth annual Partner Summit, an event the company is streaming online on Thursday.

To use the drone, people press a button and select one of several flight paths: hover, orbit, reveal, favorite and follow. If you select follow, for example, Pixy will follow you around as you go on a hike or walk around a city. Pixy will automatically take photos and videos during flight, but users can program Pixy to only take only videos. The drone will float in the air and capture images before flying back to the palm of your hand.

"Pixy is ready to fly at a moment's notice. There are no controllers. There's no complex setup. Simply set a flight path and let Pixy take it from there," Snap CEO Evan Spiegel said in his keynote remarks, which was viewed by CNET before the conference.

Snap will have to convince its users to capture photos and videos on a product that hasn't become mainstream yet. There are products similar to Pixy for purchase that are also cheaper, such as Air Neo from AirSelfie, which costs $150, and more expensive drone cameras made by DJI.

A Snapchat spokesperson said there are two flight packs available to buy online. The base flight pack costs $230 and comes with a bumper strap to carry the drone, a charging cord and a battery. There's also a bundled flight pack that costs $250 that includes everything in the base pack but also includes additional rechargeable batteries and a charger.

A battery costs $20 and a charger costs $50. The guide for Pixy doesn't say how much time the battery lasts, but it says it will allow you to capture content over five to eight flights. With 16GB of flash storage, Pixy can store up to 1,000 photos or up to 100 videos. The product is lightweight at 101 grams. Video is shot at 2.7K and the camera is 12 megapixels.

Videos shot on Pixy don't capture sound, but users will be able to edit the footage on Snapchat to include music, a voice-over and other effects.

Pixy also isn't water resistant and might not be able to complete its flight paths if there's too much wind. People are also advised to avoid using the drone over water, near highly reflective surfaces or where there's an abrupt change in elevation, such as a cliff or balcony.

Snapchat has more than 600 million monthly users and more than 330 million daily active users worldwide, the company said.

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Snapchat Spectacles Glasses With Camera