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Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

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Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#131

Post by StavrosK »

wingerlang wrote: post #90
stormbrew wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Still the case in Japan iirc.

Not only that, but phones know where you are and start making noise! I was in Tokyo and saw a cute father and baby and wanted to take a photo on the train, but the phone made a loud "click!" even in silent mode, and I looked like a perv.

At least the Japanese were too polite to say anything.

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#132

Post by ethanbond »

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.

Really? Pretty sure we walk in and out of several hundred (thousand?) camera FOVs every day. Google Glass didn't succeed because you looked like a total dork wearing it. These are a bit silly, but they also acknowledge that they're a bit silly. Google was just classically out of touch, as always.

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#133

Post by ethanbond »

jakobegger wrote: post #96
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.

Well in an age where every 18 year old's weekend hack project "needs" $1bn "to scale" to the next town over, this is just so ambitious!

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#134

Post by keithwhor »

flohofwoe wrote: post #124
keithwhor wrote: post #99

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 f…

I can't tell whether your comment is satire or serious, I should quit the internet today ;) Also, that 'thing' looks even more ridiculous then Google Glass.

Dead serious. "Cool" is all this product needs to be successful. People buy sunglasses. People like Snapchat. At $129 this is a no-brainer. Don't underestimate the power of social signaling.

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#135

Post by lucb1e »

josephpmay wrote: post #84

Being someone in the AR space, I find this a smart but risky move. If they're marked right and become "cool" I'll definitely have to cop a pair (and at $130 they're almost disposable). Spectacles will make it way easier for me to post to Snapchat at parties/concerts/etc without having to break out of the moment by taking my phone out. Strategy-wise, this is a Trojan horse into the AR hardware space, which Evan has wa…

> at $130 they're almost disposable

Welcome to real world prices. This is definitely not disposable, this sounds like a good price for VR to me and I'd be careful with them. But they're not VR and VR is a lot more expensive, so that's why nobody outside the industry has one.

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#136

Post by TeMPOraL »

StavrosK wrote: post #127
supercoder wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

26 is young now ?

I'm surprised too, at that age you barely have any of your milk teeth left.

You've just triggered my midlife crisis again. I'm 28, which is halfway to the grave :(.

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#137

Post by ethanbond »

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.

The You couldn't even wear Glass in Silicon Valley, land of graphic tees and dad jeans. I could imagine seeing these anywhere from Santa Monica to NYC or Lake Tahoe to Macchu Pichu.

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#138

Post by soup10 »

flohofwoe wrote: post #124
keithwhor wrote: post #99

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 f…

I can't tell whether your comment is satire or serious, I should quit the internet today ;) Also, that 'thing' looks even more ridiculous then Google Glass.

"Dare I say, it has the scent of Jobs to it" he dared!

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#139

Post by ethanbond »

omarchowdhury wrote: post #116
slackoverflower wrote: post #18

Snapchat has a huge opportunity in its hand which it has limited to take full advantage of: starting a revenue share program with influencers on the platform. Facebook has yet to do it and Snapchat, which is strapped with VC dollars, can attract a lot more influencers to its platform. I think the companies on the Discover are already in some sort of revenue sharing agreement with Snapchat but brining this to the mass…

Revenue from what product or service?

The ads all over Snapchat?

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#140

Post by flohofwoe »

akhatri_aus wrote: post #130
flohofwoe wrote: post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can't tell whether your comment is satire or serious, I should quit the internet today ;) Also, that 'thing' looks even more ridiculous then Google Glass.

It doesn't look ridiculous to the audience its catered to. Thick frames are in style & its symmetrical. A typical snapchat user would not be concerned by most of the things mentioned on this thread, except that these glasses fit a certain lifestyle these users are aspiring to. I.e what you could be doing with these glasses on you as opposed to anything to do with the glasses themselves. I guess the only way to find w…

Yeah, my guess is it will be similar to the Apple Watch. Somewhat popular for a little while with people working in tech or tech-media, but completely non-existent in the 'real world'.
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