Snapchat launches revamped Spectacles

Snapchat has launched a “new and improved” version of its Spectacles in a second-time lucky bid following the failure of the first generation of smart sunglasses.

The revamped sunglasses have a new “lightweight” frame fitted with a pair of small cameras that can take photos as well as recording ten-second bursts of video, The Independent reports.

Users press and hold a small button on the left-hand side of the frame to take a still image, while tapping the button records a short video clip, the news site says. A pair of light “circles” around the camera illuminate when the camera is in use, to let subjects know they are being recorded, so there can be “no covert filming”.

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The dual cameras have also been improved, says Alphr, with video resolution bumped from 1088x1088 on the first-generation model to 1216x1216, while still images come out at 1642x1642.

The Spectacles are now water-resistent and feature a new stereo mic system offering “post-processing” to remove unwanted noise from video recordings, The Guardian reports.

Snapchat hopes the improvements will convince comsumers that the smart sunglasses are more than just a “clumsy novelty”, says TechCrunch.

Only 220,000 examples of the first-generation model - which launched in September 2016 and was discontinued a year later - were sold, owing to their “limited functionality” and “goofy” designs, the tech news site adds.

The new Snapchat Spectacles hit shops today and cost £149.99 - £30 more than the old model, says TechRadar.