Snapchat launches Spectacles in Europe

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Jun 5, 2017

Social media network Snapchat has finally launched Spectacles, its camera-equipped sunglasses, in Europe nearly seven months after their US debut.

European cities including London, Paris, Berlin, Barcelona and Venice saw vending machines installed in major consumer and tourist destinations over the weekend. The yellow vending machines, called Snapbots, appeared in locations including The London Eye, a boat in front of the Eiffel Tower, Venice canals and the beach in Barcelona, with a pair of Spectacles selling for £129.99 or €149.99.

The connected sunglasses come with a built-in video camera to enable users to capture their adventures on the go. According to Snapachat, 55 million people use the content sharing app in Europe every day, with people spending at least 30 minutes daily.

The innovation was launched in the US in September 2016 and has been described by Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel as an “experiment”. While Google’s own head-mounted display Glass had received a lot of criticism due to privacy concerns, Snapchat’s Spectacles are mainly used to encourage more people to use the app.

European adoption of Spectacles could be interesting for fashion retailers, as many brands are currently investing significant marketing resources in the app as a way of connecting with the younger demographic.

Spectacles are being also rolled out online in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Spain, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden and the UK.