Even smarter glasses
The newly announced Snapchat Spectacles 3 now feature two cameras for the first time, and it’s all designed to allow you to create 3D video that can interpret the depth of your environment.
Two HD cameras sit on either side of the front of the glasses, and these are designed to capture depth in the images and video you’re filming directly from your face.
You can then upload the video to your Snapchat and apply a variety of 3D effects directly from your phone within the app. It works in a similar way to existing Snapchat Filters that you apply using the app, but these allow you to create 3D effects in your video.
Examples we’ve seen include an effect that allows confetti to fall in real time around you, or for a bird to appear in the environment and follow you around as you’re filming.
You can also make 3D photos using the cameras too allowing you to create short GIFs that simulate depth. As with previous versions of Spectacles, if you don’t want to share it on Snapchat you can export the file and then upload it to other social media services.
A spokesperson for Snap, the company behind Spectacles 3, told TechRadar, “Similar to the lens carousel that you currently see within Snapchat where you can scroll through different lenses, we’ll be rolling out new creative on a regular cadence that will interact with spectacles content with that depth.
“We’ll also have a suite of content tools that we’ll be regularly updating enabling and empowering people to create their own.”
None of this is visible through the lenses of the glasses though. Those are standard tinted lenses that are ANSI Z80.3 rated, so they’ll protect your eyes from the sun’s rays, but they won’t display augmented reality content like you may expect on something like Google Glass.
A twist on AR
The glasses are designed to be a fashionable device that you can wear day-to-day as well as suited to those who want technology on their face. When you’re recording, one of the cameras will have a white circle of lights blink around it to notify those around you that they’re being filmed.
There are four microphones to pick up audio when you’re filming video, and the glasses comes with 4GB of storage on board. According to Snap, that’ll allow for around 100 videos or 1200 photos onboard before it’ll have to connect to your phone.
Both photos and video from the glasses are circular, and the cameras supply a resolution of 1642 x 1642 for photographs. Videos are filmed at 60 frames per second with a resolution of 1216 x 1216.
In terms of battery, the glasses will be able to record around 70 videos before needing a recharge. Snap has thought of that though and it comes with a charging case that allows you to pump it up with more battery quickly and easily.
Snap says the charging case will recharge the device four times over. One thing to note is that Snap is only offering a leather charging case, so this isn’t set to be the most vegan friendly option for everyone out there.
The glasses come in two different variants called Carbon (that’s black) and Mineral (that’s a pale pink color) but the design is the same for both.
A Snap spokesperson told TechRadar, “This is a limited edition, exclusive product. It’s targeted toward people who are fashion-forward, technology focused and interested in innovation. Advertisement
“It’s for people who want to be creative and celebrate self expression. We see these (3D) effects as powerful, and it allows us to create content that no-one else can really do.”
The glasses are set to launch later this year, although we don’t currently know when you’ll be able to buy them.
You’re able to pre-order them now in the UK and US, but these are significantly more expensive than previous versions of Snap’s glasses at $380 / £330 (about AU$590). We’ve yet to learn if the glasses will be coming to Australia, and we’ll update this piece with more information once we have it.
