Snapchat might be working on a pair of sunglasses with a video camera built in
The leaked footage is the first time there has been public evidence of the project beyond photos taken of Evan Spiegel wearing an early prototype on the beach. The video ends with a title screen that says "Spectacles" by "Snap Inc." — a company name that Snapchat could be using as they expand beyond the app and into sunglasses.
A promotional video for the unannounced-but-previously-rumored glasses was apparently just sitting on YouTube, and a tipster forwarded that clip to Business Insider.
Business Insider obtained the footage after a tipster sent us a link on YouTube. Snapchat exerted a copyright claim and took it down after Business Insider reached out. We captured the footage for news purposes before it was taken down. It's unclear whether the video is an internal video for promotional purposes only or a precursor to a major product launch.
Snapchat had no comment on the video.
The glasses are apparently branded as Spectacles, and it's impossible to miss the circular camera in the outer, upper corner of the frame. A ring of LEDs light up whenever the Spectacles are recording. We don't really catch a glimpse of how the device works or how recording is activated; all the video shows is that users can review footage on a mobile device afterwards. The rest of the commercial actually sticks closely to early Google Glass ads; the Spectacles can capture a first-person perspective on some of life's big moments. But unlike Google Glass, these look a fair bit closer to everyday sunglasses — just with that big, pretty obvious camera in the corner.
Earlier this year, Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel was seen wearing a prototype of the Spectacles in paparazzi photos. Compare the two and they look awfully similar, though Spiegel's didn't feature the tiny yellow circle that's a subtle hint towards Snapchat's brand.
A promotional video for the unannounced-but-previously-rumored glasses was apparently just sitting on YouTube, and a tipster forwarded that clip to Business Insider.
Business Insider obtained the footage after a tipster sent us a link on YouTube. Snapchat exerted a copyright claim and took it down after Business Insider reached out. We captured the footage for news purposes before it was taken down. It's unclear whether the video is an internal video for promotional purposes only or a precursor to a major product launch.
Snapchat had no comment on the video.
The glasses are apparently branded as Spectacles, and it's impossible to miss the circular camera in the outer, upper corner of the frame. A ring of LEDs light up whenever the Spectacles are recording. We don't really catch a glimpse of how the device works or how recording is activated; all the video shows is that users can review footage on a mobile device afterwards. The rest of the commercial actually sticks closely to early Google Glass ads; the Spectacles can capture a first-person perspective on some of life's big moments. But unlike Google Glass, these look a fair bit closer to everyday sunglasses — just with that big, pretty obvious camera in the corner.
Earlier this year, Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel was seen wearing a prototype of the Spectacles in paparazzi photos. Compare the two and they look awfully similar, though Spiegel's didn't feature the tiny yellow circle that's a subtle hint towards Snapchat's brand.
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