Snap Inc. has launched its third generation of the
Spectacles. This time around, the main draw is not one but two cameras that can
capture in 3D. The Spectacles 3 have two HD cameras on either side,
which can capture both photos and videos in 3D. These can then be transferred
on to your phone and viewed in the Snapchat app by tilting your phone around
for the perception of depth. Or, you can use the bundled 3D Viewer, which is a
cardboard doodad for holding your phone much like Google Cardboard and view the
captured photos and videos in proper 3D.
The glasses can capture images in a resolution of
1642x1642 and videos in a resolution of 1216x1216. As before, these can be
viewed within the Snapchat app in either portrait or landscape and the
perspective remains the same regardless of how you hold the phone.
The Spectacles 3 have a new design with circular
lenses in a squared off frame. They come in two colors, Carbon and Mineral. The
frame is made out of steel and as before the glasses are tinted, making them
impractical after sunset.
All photos and videos from the glasses get stored on
the 4GB onboard memory, which has space for 100 videos or 1200 photos. The
battery lets you record up to 70 videos or over 200 photos on a single charge
and takes 75 minutes to recharge. The glasses charge within their carrying
case, which has a USB-C charging connector.
The main point of these glasses is to capture the
photos and videos and then transfer them to your phone to share them on
Snapchat. There are also new 3D effects to take advantage of the 3D photos and
videos coming off the Spectacles 3 in Snapchat. However, you have to transfer
the files manually over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi as there's still no automatic
transfer.
The new Spectacles 3 cost a whopping $380, which is
over twice the price of the Spectacles 2. They are available to pre-order now
and will ship this fall.
