Snapchat Spectacles are now a whole lot more useful.
That’s because Snapchat has updated its camera-equipped sunglasses with the much-requested option to export video in a non-circular format, at long last making it worthwhile to share the short point-of-view clips on other social networks, like Facebook, Instagram (or IGTV), Twitter and even YouTube.
Spectacles weren’t as much of a hit as Snapchat was expecting them to be – in the UK, at least – so it’s not all that surprising to see the firm experimenting with new ways to make them appeal to customers who decided against picking them up, and introducing support for more video formats is a sure fire way of doing just that.
We haven’t had a chance to play around with the update yet, but from what we’ve seen online, exporting a video in either a square or widescreen format takes the standard circular video footage, which is famed for letting users rotate their phone (in Snapchat) to view more of the scene, and zooms in until it fills the entire frame.
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As I said, we haven’t put the upgrade through its paces, but it’s safe to say that zooming in on such a large scale takes a toll on quality. To see what I mean, snap a photo using the square mode on your smartphone, then zoom in till it occupies the entire screen. It’s grainy, right? The exact same thing happens with video.
The release is rolling out for both the first- and second-generation versions of Spectacles, according to the folks over at Engadget. You will need to install it using the Snapchat application for either Android and iOS, though, so make sure you have your smartphone to hand, then follow these three straightforward steps:
- Swipe up to Memories and tap on the Spectacles icon in the top-right corner.
- Tap on your Spectacles under the My Spectacles section.
- Tap Check For Updates under the Updates section.
Let us know what you think of the Spectacles update over on Facebook or Twitter @TrustedReviews.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.