Note: This post contains affiliate links, when you purchase a product or service through one of these links we may earn a commission on that sale.
Augmented reality is a great technology; however, it doesn’t get as much attention as virtual reality. There are many uses for augmented reality, but most of them are not suited for the general public, and that is perhaps why it doesn’t get a lot of praise. There has been some more good news for augmented reality fans because Snapchat has announced that it will soon roll out augmented reality spectacles.
But before we get into the details of this technology, you need to understand what augmented reality is. The main difference between virtual and augmented reality is that the former puts the person in a virtual environment, but augmented reality, on the other hand, puts virtual objects in the real world, and that can change how you react with your surroundings.
The catch here is that these Snapchat spectacles won’t be available for everyone; instead, the company will be offering them to a specific group of global creators. Snapchat is known primarily for its AR lenses on its app, which allows the user to overlay art over the photos. The spectacles are an evolution of that idea as it allows creators to project their designs and creations on to the world around them.
Snapchat did introduce a pair of spectacles in the past as well. However, they were not AR glasses, and instead, they only allowed the user to capture videos using the cameras embedded into the glasses.
The way the new spectacles work is that on the inside, they have two cameras and four microphones. Aside from that, they also have stereo speakers powered by a processor specifically designed for AR and VR. The only downside of the spectacles is that they only offer 30 minutes of battery life, and we can agree that it is not much.
As of now, only Snapchat creators using the Lens Studio desktop app can apply for these spectacles. At this point, we aren’t even surprised that Snapchat went the limited supply route.
However, the good news is that, like before, it is expected that the company will start selling the product online. However, you will probably have to wait a year for that. The previous generation spectacles by Snapchat were not too popular; they were pretty basic and offered limited functionality.
There is no denying the fact that AR and VR are the future. Companies are trying their level best to make these technologies even better and appeal to the general audience. VR, in particular, became much more popular as compared to AR thanks to its gaming applications.
People are willing to play games in VR, and companies are rolling them out slowly and gradually. This is because VR games offer a much more immersive experience, but that same cannot be said about AR gaming.
Snapchat Spectacles are a niche product, but you should acquire it if you are into it and are an AR creator for Snapchat.
