Snapchat's New Spectacles Is Water-Resistant, Smaller Than Predecessor

Snapchat has finally unveiled the new version of its Spectacles wearable camera. Version 2.0 of Spectacles is now capable of taking photos and it has a water-resistant body. Snapchat is selling it for $149.99.

Unsurprisingly, the Spectacles V2 resembles V1, but it does come with very small changes. Spectacles V2 comes with a smaller profile and is said to be more comfortable to wear. It’s also available in new colors: black, red and blue. The lenses are also a bit lighter, so users should be fine wearing them even when they’re indoors.

Additionally, the new Spectacles is water-resistant up to 1 meter deep for around 30 minutes, according to Recode. This makes the new wearable perfect for the beach or for swimming pools. Snapchat is definitely leaning heavily on this new feature and the company even highlighted it on its promotional video.

The new Spectacles is capable of taking photos. The previous version of the wearable camera was only capable of recording videos. Snapchat says that all images and videos captured on the new Spectacles are in HD. Photo resolution is at 1,642x1,642, while video resolution is at 1,216 x 1,216. There’s no option in capturing video and images in standard quality. The company even added a second microphone to the camera, so users should also expect better audio quality.

Transferring videos and photos from Spectacles to the user’s smartphone is also faster this time around. Users will be able to transfer their captured media through Wi-Fi, which Snapchat claims is four times faster than the previous version of Spectacles.

Although the new Spectacles is smaller, but it should be able to offer the same battery life as its predecessor. Users should be able to take around 70 video snaps using the Spectacles and transfer it to their phone on a single charge, according to The Verge. To refuel the device, the new Spectacles comes with a yellow charging case, which should offer four extra full charges. The charging case is also 1/3 smaller than the original version, making it easier to bring anywere and everywere.

The new Snapchat Spectacles is now on sale in the United States, Canada, the U.K. and France, while 13 European countries will get it on May 3. The Spectacles V2 will only be available to purchase from its official website and from the online store in the Snapchat app.

Snapchat is also collaborating with Lensabl to offer prescription and polarized lenses for customers in the US. Pricing for prescription or polarized lenses haven’t been announced, but Forbes speculates it could cost somewhere between $100 and $300.