Snapchat has introduced the second generation of their Spectacles product, which features some key new upgrades for taking photos, alongside some added water resistance. The new model retains a silhouette similar to the introductory model, but has been noticeably slimmed down, and come in three jewel-tone hues: onyx (black), ruby (red), and sapphire (blue).
The first version of this trendy form of wearable tech was quite the misstep for the social media juggernaut, despite being positively received by reviewers. The company had manufactured too many units after having only sold 150,000, eventually having to write off $40 million in merchandise while also laying off a dozen employees.
According to Business Insider, less than half of the individuals who purchased the product used them for longer than a month, relegating the gizmo to novelty status.
With a relatively abysmal first outing, one may question why the company felt the need to update its product and try and reintroduce it on the consumer market. Hardware has the potential to be a particularly profitable avenue for Snapchat, as it can enable new services, be sold at robust profit margins, and is ultimately harder to competitors to clone. However, hardware is a cutthroat market, which means that the company will have to be really persuasive in order to consistently lure in new customers to legitimize this business endeavour.
