Snap, the company behind popular messaging app Snapchat, is reportedly working on new models of its Spectacles despite the weak sales of the social media smart glasses.
The second Snap Spectacles is expected to be an upgrade to the current model while the third version will feature a new design, better features, and a higher price tag.
New Snap Spectacles
According to an exclusive report by Cheddar, Snap is working on a second version of the Spectacles that will be released this year, and a third version that will be launched in 2019.
The second Spectacles is water resistant and will offer new colors, although most of the updates will be on bug fixes with the software and on improvements to performance. Sources claim that the second version of the smart glasses is already in the manufacturing phase, with shipping expected by the fall.
Meanwhile, Snap has already started working on the third Spectacles, which will be a more ambitious version of the device. According to sources, it will feature a new aluminum design with more circular frames and two cameras that will enable depth effects for videos that will make them look more 3D.
Snap is also thinking about adding built-in GPS and selling the third Spectacles with a leather case, with a $300 price tag that is over double the current $130 cost of the Spectacles.
It is unclear why Snap will move forward with new Spectacles models when it was recently reported that the company suffered a loss of $40 million due to the poor market performance of the smart glasses.
The Snap Spectacles surged in popularity during its release because of its simplicity compared to the Google Glass, but interest in the device eventually died down. This has resulted in several hundred thousand pieces of the Snap Spectacles left unsold or unassembled in warehouses.
Snap is already off to a disappointing start for the new Spectacles though, as it has already missed internal deadlines for the devices. The expected release date of the second version of the Spectacles is in the fall, but there is still a possibility that it will be pushed back. The third version of the Spectacles, meanwhile, was supposed to launch this year but has already been delayed to 2019.
Redesigned Snapchat App
While Snap is working on its new Spectacles, the company is currently facing backlash for the Snapchat redesign.
Snap decided to redesign Snapchat because it said that the app was hard to use, but when the Snapchat update was released, a lot of people hated it and looked for a way to bring back the old version.
Users launched a petition to ditch the new look of Snapchat, claiming that instead of making the app easier to use, it became confusing and annoying. Snap responded to the petition, saying that while the company listens to feedback, the Snapchat update is here to stay.
