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Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

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Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#91

Post by dmritard96 »

fowlerpower wrote: post #7

I think this is significantly better than what Google did with Google Glass. It's better because it focuses on the one thing that is really easy to do well. It does not try to do everything at once. It doesn't try to give you apps in your glasses and everything under the sun. This is the right approach to products. Do one thing but do that well. Before you criticize me think back to the original iPhone, it didn't sta…

Don't buy this do one thing and well for a second.

Using your own example:

Before the iPhone, you had seperate: GPS Camera Flashlight MP3 Player and many other things

With the iPhone, you got all of these and a nice compact package that you could carry with you at all times. Thats not to say feature creep can't be a problem, but more that sticking to hard and fast rules like 'do one thing but do that well' is largely an oversimplification of the world to make the world more comprehendible to those that don't want to look at the real nuance of products/markets etc.

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#93

Post by jakobegger »

sloanesturz wrote: post #51
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.

How much of their userbase of 13-30 year olds wants to plunk down $130 for a toy? Less than 5%, I'd guess.

Lots of people in the 13-30 demographic spend $100 on sun glasses or $200 on headphones. I don't think this product is out of reach.

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#94

Post by dmritard96 »

ftrflyr wrote: post #39

Why? You need to seriously question the motives behind such a launch. IMHO: [1]Snapshot is an online multimedia application. [2]The infrastructure required to move from online to hardware requires significant investment (beyond the $1.8B they recently raised) - that of which I don't believe Snapchat can fund without a serious re-monetiziation strategy beyond Ads. It is only a matter of time before FB makes the move i…

1.8B...? not sure what you are talking about. In China, the molds for the frame don't cost more than 30kUSD (and thats on the high end). Not sure what the lenses do on the glasses so I'll hold off on an estimate. PCBs and off the shelf components have 0 overhead other than buying in MOQs which is inconsequential for snapchat.

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#95

Post by r0fls »

ekianjo wrote: post #53
nxc18 wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

> life enrichment Is this really what this product does?

"Enrichment" isn't as strong of a word as you're thinking. If it makes life better or more enjoyable for someone, it's life enriching for them.

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#96

Post by jakobegger »

ftrflyr wrote: post #39

Why? You need to seriously question the motives behind such a launch. IMHO: [1]Snapshot is an online multimedia application. [2]The infrastructure required to move from online to hardware requires significant investment (beyond the $1.8B they recently raised) - that of which I don't believe Snapchat can fund without a serious re-monetiziation strategy beyond Ads. It is only a matter of time before FB makes the move i…

An investment of more than a billion for a wireless camera? Are you kidding? You could probably launch a product like this for $100.000 if you keep it lean.

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#97

Post by nekopa »

dmritard96 wrote: post #91
fowlerpower wrote: post #7

I think this is significantly better than what Google did with Google Glass. It's better because it focuses on the one thing that is really easy to do well. It does not try to do everything at once. It doesn't try to give you apps in your glasses and everything under the sun. This is the right approach to products. Do one thing but do that well. Before you criticize me think back to the original iPhone, it didn't sta…

Don't buy this do one thing and well for a second. Using your own example: Before the iPhone, you had seperate: GPS Camera Flashlight MP3 Player and many other things With the iPhone, you got all of these and a nice compact package that you could carry with you at all times. Thats not to say feature creep can't be a problem, but more that sticking to hard and fast rules like 'do one thing but do that well' is largely…

Also, in the now famous introductory presentation of the iPhone, Jobs even spoofed the audience that there were 3 products he was about to release, spinning them all into 1 item.

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#98

Post by Sir_Substance »

r0fls wrote: post #95
ekianjo wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> life enrichment Is this really what this product does?

"Enrichment" isn't as strong of a word as you're thinking. If it makes life better or more enjoyable for someone, it's life enriching for them.

I would argue for a logical and in there. Cocaine makes life more enjoyable for almost everyone, but it's hardly life enriching.

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#99

Post by keithwhor »

I think this is brilliant. Even the press details seem perfectly crafted, with one article referencing Evan's "supermodel girlfriend."

Snapchat can win here based on brand alone. The hardware features are a plus, but they're going to sell a lifestyle. Think GoPro + Versace. Commenters here are caught up in the tech. It's not the tech. Get a few celebrities in these, people will buy them and barely use the recording features. They're cheaper than Ray-Bans and I bet you and half of your friends own a pair of those.

Snapchat can assemble an AR powerhouse from the ground up with brand goodwill. Evan and his team have figured out the best market strategy to do so. Google is not "cool" and could never attempt to pull this off.

I have tremendous respect for Evan Spiegel right now. Bold move. Amazingly positioned. I wish them the best of luck. Dare I say, it has the scent of Jobs to it - the vision, the risk ("we make sunglasses now!") and definitely the "cool-factor." Don't misinterpret - this isn't the iPhone, not yet anyway, but I think they're on to something very big.

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#100

Post by unimpressive »

fowlerpower wrote: post #7

I think this is significantly better than what Google did with Google Glass. It's better because it focuses on the one thing that is really easy to do well. It does not try to do everything at once. It doesn't try to give you apps in your glasses and everything under the sun. This is the right approach to products. Do one thing but do that well. Before you criticize me think back to the original iPhone, it didn't sta…

I disagree. It's better because the marketing doesn't suggest that it's anything more than a toy. There's no expectation that you're going to reorient your lifestyle around the Spectacles, but it was implied that you would be filming your entire life 24/7 with Google Glass.

As a productivity device it's weak, but as a toy it looks pretty fun and I'm amazed at the sea of people screaming about what a stupid idea it is and how it'll never catch on. If I had disposable income I could certainly see myself buying one and playing with it.

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