It's official: Snap has developed a new pair of smart glasses.
Documents published by the US Federal Communications Commission, and spotted by Variety, describe a “wearable video camera” made by Snap. The device has "Spectacles" branding and "Model 002” on its packing label. The documents also show the device supports for 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2 (BLE). Although Snap hasn't confirmed anything, it's safe to assume this device is Spectacles 2.0.
Snap didn't sell many of the first-generation Spectacles, but it clearly isn't giving up. The company behind the Snapchat app has been rumoured to be developing two new versions of Spectacles, which launched in 2016, allowing Snapchat users to capture photos and videos that can later be uploaded to Snapchat. They seemed popular at first, but then... well, have you ever seen someone wearing them?
In late 2017, Snap reportedly ordered “hundreds of thousands” of units, but apparently, those never sold. The company then opened up sales, so people didn't have to go to a random kiosk at some pop-up location to buy them, but that still didn't encourage its users and others from buying a pair. Nevertheless, Snap is said to be working on new Spectacles products. One is a second-generation model.
- What's the point of Snapchat and how does it work?
- Snap Spectacles: What are they and how do they work?
- Snap Spectacles tips and tricks
It's supposed to come with performance improvements and be available in new colours. As for the other rumoured version, it could feature two lenses, more advanced camera tech, and a $300 price. This FCC filing seems to be for the second-generation model, which is capable of faster file transfers. So, while Snapchat took a whopping $40 million loss on the first generation, it looks like it hasn't been deterred.
But, remember, a product spotted in the FCC’s database doesn't mean it'll one day go on sale. We'll keep you posted.