Snap Spectacles could make return with ‘Model 002’ version
Documents published by the FCC appear to have confirmed the existence of a new version of Snapchat’s Spectacles, marking a return for the device that Snapchat launched in 2016.
The filing suggests that little will change for the sunglasses-come-camera. The Verge reports that the new Specs will come equipped with Bluetooth 4.2 (BLE) and 802.11ac, and have an internal name of ‘Model 002’.
The filing confirms previous rumours that Snapchat has two further generations of Spectacles planned, one for 2018 and a more premium model for 2019 which is set to include two cameras and GPS functionality.
The FCC documents don’t confirm that the wearable is definitely coming out, but it’s a firm indication that Snapchat is still developing its own hardware.
Making a spectacle
We’re slightly surprised that Snapchat is continuing to investigate producing its own hardware. By its own admission the first generation of the glasses failed to fly off shelves, leaving the company with $40m in unsold hardware.
But for all intents and purposes, the glasses were very well designed, with a quick and easy pairing process, and just a single button that you pressed to record Snapchat clips.
However, outside of usability the quality of the videos produced by the Spectacles was poor, and defaulted to a limited circular video file when used outside of the Snapchat app, limiting their use.
Its unclear how much, if at all, these new Spectacles will resolve these issues, but its interesting to see Snapchat trying, after a year in which its share price has seemed jumpy and unstable.
Did you buy a pair of Snapchat Spectacles, and if so are you still using them? Let us know @TrustedReviews