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Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

wsj.com

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Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#61

Post by mozumder »

jdavis703 wrote: post #40
mozumder wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a dead-end product. People aren't going to wear this, because they don't want to creep out people by having a camera pointed at them all the time. This was the real problem with Google Glass. Also, everyone already carries around a camera in their smartphone. They aren't going to add another.

I think by people you mean the hacker news crowd. Remember many people don't even see much of a problem with mass NSA surveillance.

No, the exact opposite actually.

Normal people would hate this.

This only appeals to a certain tiny nerd demographic, the kind that thought Google Glass was originally a good idea.

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#62

Post by mozumder »

jrockway wrote: post #37
supercoder wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So if an young guy who you rated as attractive came up to you and started filming you , that wouldn't make you at all uncomfortable ?

Based on the number of vlogs I see on YouTube shot with DSLRs, I don't think many people care about being filmed. I probably show up in hundreds of videos from bike commuting over the Brooklyn Bridge. It doesn't matter. I'm guessing 99.99% of the videos go unwatched anyway.

You ever talk to kids? They're well aware of privacy invasions and when to put away the camera. They're trained on proper social media etiquette.

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#63

Post by fra »

ftrflyr wrote: post #57
sheer_horror wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If Snapchat is able to sell this product to only 5% of their 150M userbase that's 7.5M * $130 = 1B in revenue. Then they diversify their future product line somehow and keep selling to the other 95% of their users. Forget a re-monetization strategy for ads - ads make a product worse and it is refreshing that there may be another way for VC-backed companies to monetize.

Devils advocate here. You overlooking quite a few things. Realistically, let's break some things down: Background: Google Glass Cost: $1,500 for early adopters (irrelevant) Cost to Manufacture: ~$100 USD Sale Price: $299 Margin: ~33% (low)? Probably. Yes! Yes with economies of scale...blah....blah...blah... Let's assume (I'll use the 150M, but I don't want to): A. 5% of their 150M userbase that's 7.5M * $130 = $1B US…

I would expect glass to have cost a multiple of that $100, with negative or no margin.

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#64

Post by mozumder »

stormbrew wrote: post #29
mozumder wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a dead-end product. People aren't going to wear this, because they don't want to creep out people by having a camera pointed at them all the time. This was the real problem with Google Glass. Also, everyone already carries around a camera in their smartphone. They aren't going to add another.

Comments like this always remind me of when camera phones were controversial and had to make a loud clicking noise when they took pictures so everyone knew it was happening. Fast forward 10-15 years and do you really know whether that person using their phone across from you on the bus isn't recording you? Nope.

There are far, far more tech failures than there are successful ones.

You can bet on this (and most tech products) failing hard.

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#65

Post by 90002 »

mozumder wrote: post #17
potatoyogurt wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It also doesn't look nearly as dorky as Google Glass did. Google Glass had the problem where it was trying to be an all-purpose life-enhancing thing that people would wear all the time, so it was trying to be both invisible and distinctive. This doesn't need to pretend to be something that you can forget you're wearing or something that you can pair with any type of outfit -- it has a strong sense of style, and it's…

This is a dead-end product. People aren't going to wear this, because they don't want to creep out people by having a camera pointed at them all the time. This was the real problem with Google Glass. Also, everyone already carries around a camera in their smartphone. They aren't going to add another.

Sorry, I have to disagree with you here. Google Glass never achieved mass adoption amongst consumers due to the simple fact that they weren't fashionable, imo. Excluding SV, many people saw them as ugly and creepy.

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#66

Post by throwaway28123 »

I'd just like give everyone a reminder,

>The most important principle on HN, though, is to make thoughtful comments. Thoughtful in both senses: civil and substantial.

"Google Glass 2.0" and similar cheap bashing isn't just against the rules, it's boring and petty.

Take it to 4chan, you'll get the attention you're after.

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#67

Post by kkhire »

hellogoodbyeeee wrote: post #38

I don't understand why all these software companies are in a rush to make hardware. With the lone exception of Apple, all hardware seems to resort in a race to the bottom commoditization resulting in paper thin margins.

hardware going mainstream is $$$

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#68

Post by ddeck »

nxc18 wrote: post #52
mikoR wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The above three comments to me summerise what has qualified as American Innovation for the last 15-20 years. When you are surrounded by the superficial, building things for the superficial what else can you produce other than the superficial. It is sad as hell to watch. It isn't ironic to me that Trump is going to be leading this bunch of innovators soon.

An alternative way of thinking about this is that we're fortunate that our needs are so well provided for that we can focus on entertainment and life enrichment. A camera at eye level is extremely useful for many reasons, snapchat is just one, excellent use case. In my own life, I have a use for that specific tool, and am glad it exists - Google Glass was never widely released. And the price is great - at $129 this s…

>An alternative way of thinking about this is that we're fortunate that our needs are so well provided for that we can focus on entertainment and life enrichment.

It's a nice way of thinking of it and hopefully it's true one day, but unless "our" means the typical HN reader, I don't think we're there yet. Consider that in the US in 2015, 43.1 million people were living in poverty (13.5% poverty rate) [1], and income inequality continues to rise [2].

[1] https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2016/demo/p60-25...

[2] https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GINIALLRH

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#69

Post by orbitingpluto »

Now everybody can be Spider Jerusalem...

Just like Google Glass users being called Glassholes, SnapChat glasses will probably be called something like SnapChads, because only white rich guys in pastel shorts and rugby shirts named Chad will use them. The aesthetic just isn't there for wide adoption.

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#70

Post by pharrington »

mikoR wrote: post #50
sheer_horror wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

These glasses are going to be a huge hit thanks to their style. The main userbase of snapchat are product-hungy 12-25 year olds without much conviction; they'll jump at the chance to get a product that looks cool and represents their favourite timesink. I am very impressed with this move because it gives Snapchat a supplement to ad-based revenue. I hope this makes them a lot of money.

The above three comments to me summerise what has qualified as American Innovation for the last 15-20 years. When you are surrounded by the superficial, building things for the superficial what else can you produce other than the superficial. It is sad as hell to watch. It isn't ironic to me that Trump is going to be leading this bunch of innovators soon.

I don't understand. None of the above commenters mentioned anything about innovation; they just said the Spectacles looks like it'll be a successful product. Appreciating successful capitalism is half of what this forum is about.
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