Snap Spectacles has caught the fancy of many. Aside from being a great 'toy' to play with, the company formerly known as Snapchat added more fun to its wearable device by playing a game of 'Where's Fluffy?'
'Where's Fluffy' is a fictional band from the 2008 film Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. The band would play in secret gigs in venues around New York City and it's up to its fans to look for them.
Snap Inc.'s brilliant marketing manoeuvre takes some cues from the film. And probably from the animated hit Minions, as well.
Snap Spectacles can be bought from Minion-looking vending machines placed in spots around the country. The first one, called Snapbot, appeared last week in a parking lot beside the company's original office in Venice, CA.
Another Snapbot popped up near the Big Sur Bakery in Oakland last Sunday.
The next one is still a mystery. Those who want their own Spectacles might need to wait until tomorrow at 8 a.m ET (5 a.m. PT) to know where to rush to.
Spectacles vs Google Glass
So what is Snap doing that Google failed to do?
The main difference between the Spectacles and the Google Glass is that the latter is too complicated. Spectacles' simplistic nature is probably one of the reasons why the tech is gaining fans fast. Spectacles takes 10-second videos from the user's point of view. Google Glass is like a computer crammed inside a pair of glasses.
Another selling point of Specs is its looks. It is almost the same size as a pair of Ray-Ban Wayfarers. The Glass is too 'techy' and bulky to be worn every day. Plus, the Spectacles is way cheaper at $129 while Glass sold for $1,500 when it was first released in 2013.
The Good and the Bad
Spectacles is fun, cheap and actually looks great. The pop-up vending machine idea is brilliant. The problem is, the glasses sell too fast.
The first pop-out was fully stocked but the second one sold out before lunch. It's either the stock was limited or too many people lined up to get as much Spectacles as they could. These same people are probably the ones selling Spectacles for way more than its original price. In eBay a pair is being sold for $2,300 while another is a bit cheaper at $1,200.
In any case, the new device from Snap is selling like pancakes - fluffy ones.
