Snap to release Spectacles 3 in UAE on December 13

New version of AI-augmented glasses equipped with high-definition cameras and target a select audience

Spectacles 3 will allow users to capture photos and videos by tapping a button on top of the glasses. Courtesy Snap
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US camera and social media company Snap will roll out the remodelled version of its augmented reality sunglasses, Spectacles 3, in the UAE on December 13.

Produced with dual cameras designed to capture the world in 3D, Spectacles 3 is built with a steel frame and circular lenses with two high-definition cameras on either side of the frame. These are aimed at creating depth and dimension in a similar way to how human eyes work and use augmented reality to enhance images.

“Images from both cameras will combine to build out a geometric map of the world around you,” Snap said.

Users can take both photos and videos by tapping a button on top of the glasses, which will sync wirelessly to Android or iOS devices. These can then be transformed with new 3D effects in Snapchat.

The devices also include four built-in microphones to record high-fidelity audio.

Announced in August, Spectacles 3 were sold in selected markets last month. At $410 (Dh1505.9), they are almost twice the price of its preceding range, which failed to generate significant interest among consumers.

The latest variant is targeting a select audience.

“Spectacles 3 is a limited-production run. We are not looking for massive sales here. We are targeting people who are excited about these effects — creative storytellers,” Matt Hanover of the Snap Lab team told TechCrunch.

Snap is looking to diversify revenue streams to move towards profitability. The company's last quarterly results announced in October showed net losses for the three months to September narrowed by 30 per cent,  at $227.4 million, despite revenue climbing 50 per cent to $446.2m in the same period. Losses for the nine-month period dropped 25 per cent to $793m.

Industry experts say Spectacles 3 needs to come up with good ideas to woo Middle East consumers.

"Previous editions did not evoke the desired response. The company needs to come up with a really compelling marketing plan to attract new customers," Abbas Ali, managing editor of TechRadar Middle East, told The National.

Spectacles 3, which takes about 75 minutes to fully charge in its case, can capture and sync up to 70 videos per full charge. The devices are capable of storing 4GB of data, equating to around 100 3D videos or 1,200 3D photos.