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Comment by minimaxir | Hacker News Reader

Snap hedged their existence on the Spectacles/hardware (https://www.spectacles.com) to the point of rebranding themselves as a "camera" company in the SEC filing.

Has anyone seen/heard about the Spectacles used since the initial hype?

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I got a pair to play with it. They are very fun and silly. When I go out everyone at the bar wants to goof around with them. I think to use them you need to enjoy Snapchat for what it is. A silly fun stress free way to share what you are up to to exactly who you want to share it with.

The roll out for spectacles was horrible. Where the heck do I get one? If I can't find them while living in Downtown SF, I don't know how they expect Spectacles to get any traction.

Online? (https://www.spectacles.com/)

They made it very easy to order online, and I thought the initial rollout with the vending machines was a good way to build hype.

Although a little dramatic, this is fair enough of an assessment.

I'm honestly surprised SnapChat doesn't let you purchase Spectacles in-app, so there must be more to the story.

> If I can't find them while living in Downtown SF

That's the beauty of their roll out. Keeping it out of the hand of SF techies during launch helped create a cool brand for these in a mainstream audience. Google Glass' association w geeks helped cement their failure in the broader market.

Except Downtown SF is not just techies. It's plenty of so-called 'cool' people too.

If he were expecting to see them in Sunnyvale maybe you'd have a point.

> Except Downtown SF is not just techies. It's plenty of so-called 'cool' people too.

ehhhhhh

> If he were expecting to see them in Sunnyvale maybe you'd have a point.

yeah ok

I really love my spectacles. They are great for capturing POV experiences and very simple to use/transfer.

Surprised noone has been working on a jailbreak for them though.

While I haven't read the SEC filing myself, isn't the idea of them being a camera company more of a software play than a hardware one? Even with Spectables, that's how I took it: most of Snapchat is things-that-people-thing-other-cameras-should-do-but-can't, and that's what makes them a camera company without making and selling lots of cameras. I'm not sure though.

Yes, their quarterly report SEC filing[1] literally says "Snap Inc. is a camera company"

[1] https://www.last10k.com/sec-filings/snap/0001564590-17-01035...

Yes, believing in Snap is believing they have the AR market. If you watch the latest Facebook conference and their AR announcement, Zuckerburg attacks this directly by calling the Camera the next "platform" as if we are installing apps directly onto the Camera. [0]

Facebook is clearly the follower here, there are a number of awkward jokes and it's clear Facebook doesn't "get" AR or the Snapchat userbase. Snap is the first (primarily US) company to actually get users to use AR and QR codes (in the form of Snapcodes), not to mention the first social network to do it.

Spectacles are the first camera that helps you experience video from the perspective of the person taking it. This is actually a long time coming, for anyone who watches Snapchat with the headphones in (think every kid 27 and younger because they are always listening to music), Snapchat is a very immersive experience -- today's mics are very sensitive and the realism of Snapchat makes you feel like you are there. Spectacles just take that to the next level, they will already be ready as immersive video glasses become popular.

I'm way long on Snap philosophically but do not hold a position. I'm also in the AR space and I see Snap in the lead.

[0]: https://www.engadget.com/2017/04/18/facebook-reveals-its-cam...

I own a pair and honestly I would use them more but I need either LASIK or to pop in prescription lenses.

I can't buy it on amazon for the retail price.

I have seen several pro sports teams use them to promote their clubs.

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