Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

Post by yolesaber » Sat, Sep 24, 2016, 4:07 PM UTC

slewis wrote: post #236

yolesaber wrote: post #230

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you seriously comparing a pair of shitty-looking sunglasses to the iPhone? These are sunglasses that take a ten second video that is tied to Snapchat. They cost 130 bucks and immediately signal that you are a techie douchebag because that's what people still associate video-taking glasses with. It is literally a novelty toy that is using a WSJ article (native content advertising) to make it seem like a revolution…

The article says over and over again it's a toy. Young people, 14-25 are going to buy these and make them cool. Not the 35 year old engineers who bought Google Glass. Google has never made something cool. Snapchat was cool out of the gate.

Post by yolesaber » Sat, Sep 24, 2016, 4:11 PM UTC

berberous wrote: post #235

yolesaber wrote: post #223

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Don't underestimate the power of social signaling. You mean the social signaling that is going to brand these users as "glassholes" as well? >At $129 this is a no-brainer. Please step out of your tech bubble. Most snapchat users are teenagers or college-age persons who absolutely do not have $129 to drop on a pair of novelty sunglasses.

Cheaper than a pair of raybans, which are fairly ubiquitous. If they are successful, the price will drop too. If the hardware is minimal, and people like the design, why not buy these instead of whatever other sunglasses they were going to buy and get a fun toy as well?

Post by msabalau » Sat, Sep 24, 2016, 4:15 PM UTC

WhitneyLand wrote: post #212

Looks like they have learned from the glasshole debacle. 1). The messaging emphasizes it's just "a toy", a low volume experiment. More playful and more humble approach makes it a smaller target for ridicule. 2.) Pricing at $149 also makes it less pretentious and more importantly, puts it in the discretionary income range of what the heck I'll give it a shot.

Post by Bakary » Sat, Sep 24, 2016, 4:16 PM UTC

agumonkey wrote: post #229

CodeWriter23 wrote: post #60

Hype and grumbles aside, I believe optimizing the "I want to record what I'm seeing right now" to a tap near your temple is pretty compelling. Fumbling to get my camera out of my pocket, or even just grab from tabletop and swipe-to-cam is often long enough to miss that precious moment with my daughter.

True, this removes a ton of useless and uber-annoying friction.

Post by tedmiston » Sat, Sep 24, 2016, 4:21 PM UTC

wingerlang wrote: post #147

personjerry wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As part of the audience it's catered to, it absolutely looks ridiculous. The question is, is it useful/interesting/popular/trendy enough to warrant that ridiculousness? It'll depend on how they market it. My opinion is that Snapchat is pretty good already, so why would I need this? Hence my analysis is that it would be difficult for Snap to market this product effectively without cannibalizing their existing product,…

Does the typical snapchat user hang out on HN? When I think of snapchats core audience I think 18 year olds who are "super social" and care a lot about fashion and "new stuff". Not saying it can't overlap, but still.