New Snap Spectacles confirmed by FCC

Mike Mercury · 04-11-2018, 10:36am

The existence of at least one new pair of wearable Spectacle glasses for Snapchat has just been confirmed by the FCC’s radiation chambers. The documents published today, and first spotted by Variety, describe a “wearable video camera” made by Snap Inc. with “Spectacles” branding and “Model 002” printed on the packing label. Although most of the documents accompanying the filing are obscured under a confidentiality request, a little digging reveals support for 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2 (BLE).

Last month, Cheddar reported two upcoming versions of Spectacles: a second-generation model for 2018 with improved performance and bug fixes, and a third-gen wearable for 2019 with two cameras, GPS, and a price tag of up to $300. The FCC filing would suggest we’re looking at the second-gen model that’s capable of faster file transfers.

The original Spectacles launched in 2016 with a very successful marketing campaign that resulted in long lines and a gray market where sellers could demand a hefty premium on top of the $130 suggested retail price. The hype soon fizzled, however, with the company eating about $40 million in unsold inventory.

Remember, finding a product in the FCC’s database isn’t a guarantee it’ll go on sale (although it’s a pretty good indicator of intent). Receiving passing marks to suggest your product’s wireless technologies won’t bake the brain is one thing, having the guts to sell the new Spectacles after the original fiasco is something else entirely.