LONDON – Snapchat has now introduced a new product, Spectacles 2.0, whichis the company’s new version of eyewear with built-in cameras. This is thecompany’s second attempt after the first version failed to catch on withusers of the youth-oriented social network.
The new product, Spectacles 2.0 “are now more comfortable to wear with asmaller profile, and they’re water resistant — so you can bring them tothe beach, or your next pool party,” Snapchat parent Snap Inc. said in astatement.
The sunglasses allow users to record photos, video and audio that can thenbe transferred to Snapchat for messages to friends. The new glasses willsell for $150 or $20 more than the first generation.
Last year, Snap took a write-off of some $40 million for unsold inventoryof its Spectacles. Snap said it sold 150,000 Spectacles, but some reportssaid it had produced hundreds of thousands that were unsold.
Snap, which reports its quarterly results next week, has been losing moneysince its stock market debut last year. Known for its disappearing messagespopular with teens, Snapchat has expanded its mobile application to includevideo, news and other content from a variety of media partners.
Snapchat’s share of digital advertising is small but growing. The researchfirm eMarketer says the social network is expected to generate $1.36billion in worldwide ad revenue, up more than 92 percent over last year butaccounting only for a market share of just 0.5 percent.
Recently, Snapchat announced the launch of ‘Snappables’, a new range ofLenses for sharing experiences and playing augmented reality (AR) games.Snappables are a new form of interactive Lenses through which Snapchatterscan share experiences and experiment with AR, and will be available inSnapchat’s Lens Carousel, on the left side of the circular capture button.
To get started, a user may tap on a Lens icon and then follow the on-screendirections. Some Snappables invite users to jump into another worldtogether and then invite their friends to join in. Snappables will beginrolling out to Snapchatters globally this week on iOS and Android, thecompany said. – Agencies