On Thursday morning, I woke up to texts from a friend. “Snapchat Spectacles Venice Beach vending machine. They’re here!”
Snapchat’s Spectacles had arrived via a pop-up vending machine known as a Snapbot. There were long lines and people waited for hours, but my friend managed to get two pairs.
Spectacles, revealed in September, are basically connected hipster sunglasses that record video snippets, which are wirelessly saved to your Snapchat Memories. The point? To “make memories, from your perspective.” So instead of fumbling around, looking for your phone to get the perfect snap, press the button on your Spectacles to create a 10-second snap.
First Look
When I first heard about Spectacles, I was skeptical. Why pay $130 for a pair of specs that look like the 3D glasses you get at the movies? But when I finally got them, I realized why everyone is so excited. Not only are the glasses a cool tech gadget, they actually look rather (geek) chic.
Spectacles resemble regular sunglasses, but with circular yellow cameras on each side of the frame. They come in three colors: black, teal, and coral. The packaging is different from any other gadget I’ve tested; I felt like I was opening a water bottle with a large twist-off cap.
The design is simple. On one side is a camera; on the other is a spinning light that lets you know it’s recording. Each pair of Spectacles comes with the necessities: one charging case, one charging cable, and one cleaning cloth. That case doubles as a charger and can recharge Spectacles about four times before needing a charge of its own. Each charge will get you about 100 snaps.
Setting Up Spectacles
Connecting the device to your phone is easy. Update Snapchat to the latest version of the app, turn on your phone’s Bluetooth, put the Spectacles on, and open up the Snapchat app. Point the glasses at the QR code on your phone, give them a name in the pop-up box that appears, and press the button on the top of your Spectacles. Press “pair Spectacles” within the app while wearing the glasses, and voila they’re paired!