Get Your Shades On - Snapchat Spectacles Have Arrived in the UK

Spectacles by Snap Inc.

Summer may be nearing it's end with our good-old cloudy, rainy weather recently making a return, but with Snap Inc.'s Spectacles arriving to the UK and Europe, many keen Snapchatters won't be putting their sunnies away any time soon.

Announced in October last year, Snapchat's bid to stand out in the technology industry is headed by this fun piece of hardware. Many have compared them to Google Glass: being a cheaper (at £129.99), less-sleek but more trendy alternative, compatible with everyone's favourite quick photo-sharing app.

The Specs are now available in the UK and across Europe, and you can get your hands on a pair online or at Snapbots, which are essentially big yellow vending machines - find them at London's Westfield shopping centres. They come with a handy charging case and cable, and they're available in a simple black design, or bolder teal and coral colourways.

So, how can you use them?

For work

The Specs are proving popular at business events, with the Specs often being available to visitors as a way to document, share and boost coverage - ultimately increasing the reach of said event.

They can also be used to capture behind-the-scenes footage exclusive to Snapchat followers - a range of companies or even celebrities/musicians could use this as a way to gain reach and share perspectives.

As Eventbrite reports, Ned Lampert, Creative Director at agency Space150, comments: “Looking directly at a celebrity’s face, both literally and figuratively, through the eyes of a makeup artist can be very interesting.”

Despite not being the use you'd think of initially, the Specs could be a very influential and useful piece of kit in the world of marketing - who doesn't want to see their favourite celeb getting their eyeshadow expertly done?

For play

Of course, a large amount of those who purchase the Snap Specs will have the intention of using them for fun. The whole premise of the glasses is to be able to 'make memories from your perspective' as Snap Inc. puts it. The POV, hands-free recording gives a world of possibilities for fun and interesting video-styles (squashed into 10-seconds that is), which then save to your account's Memories section.

They're the kind of thing you wish you were wearing when you see your friend comically trip over and don't have time to fumble with your smartphone to capture the moment. Or, how about when an unexpectant friend enters their birthday party - film it with your Specs without having to witness their reaction through your phone screen. That sort of thing.

Despite being a big step in Snap Inc.'s technology advances, the Snapchat Spectacles haven't been as successful as hoped, so far.

TechCrunch reported on their US sales in May, noting how Snap revealed that their "“Other revenue” category that’s mostly from Spectacles brought in around $4.5 million in Q4 2016, and over $8.3 million in Q1 2017.

Ignoring other possible revenue drivers in this category, at the $130 price point this revenue means Snap would have sold around 34,600 pairs of Spectacles in Q4 and 63,800 pairs in Q1."

The Specs do have some cool features, a trendy design and a world of interesting uses; will you be running out to buy them, or are you happy with the smartphone Snapchat format?