For those of you who haven’t stumbled across Snapchat’s latest creation, Spectacles are wearable cameras. Available in basic black, striking coral and gorgeous teal, this gadget can be bought online via the Spectacles site, or through Bots placed in America.
I’ve been on the fence about buying a pair of Spectacles ever since they were released to the public. On one hand I love how they takes videos from eye level without me having to take out my phone. On the other hand $129 is not cheap and I wonder if I would even make use of the Spectacles.
It’s easy for online content creators to justify buying a pair of Snapchat Spectacles. But when you’re a university student and have no intention of creating online content for the masses to watch, you wonder if it’s worth paying $129 for the Spectacles.
I may still be on the fence about buying a pair but Yusuf Omar, mobile journalist and Snapchat storyeteller, is a huge fan of his specs! With an international following of thousands, Yusuf has given mobile journalism a whole new meaning, and with his Snapchat Spectacles he continues to take ‘MOJO’ to new levels.
To Yusuf, Spectacles were made not only for journalists and content creators, but for ordinary people like you and me:
“I don’t think its made for social media influences. I think its made for everybody. I love my pair and I wear them everyday.”
And its true. Yusuf’s daily Snapchat stories are filled with footage shot on his Spectacles, and though he may not encounter groundbreaking events every single day, he shows snippets of his life like many of us do on Snapchat, only he does it through wearable camera.
Yusuf makes a case for Snapchat’s Spectacles by setting them above other wearable cameras available to the public:
“What’s unique about the Spectacles is the integration with the platform and how it automatically sends videos via bluetooth to your Snapchat memories. The most interesting and innovative part about this is the circular quality. The opportunity to form a round frame means that we don’t have to have a debate about whether we should film landscape or portrait. You can do both and that’s a huge innovation that’s really exciting. It makes it feel really immersive to the viewer.”
And he’s quite right. Spectacles allow the viewer to decide whether they want to watch video material portrait or landscape. The circular quality is bound to give Snapchat stories that special edge, whilst taking your account to the next level.
But in the world of Journalism, Spectacles are much more than just a way to up your Snapchat game. As Yusuf states, it changes the way journalists interact with and interview subjects:
“I no longer have to hold a phone up in front of me, distancing my self from the subjects with a barrier. I can now look people in the eyes and have a conversation. There’s something quite special about that.”
So whether you’re a journalist, social media influencer or an ordinary student like me, Spectacles were made for everyone. I’m quite tempted to buy a pair. Personally the biggest incentive of this product is the fact that I can document my life without missing out on it.
Unfortunately with smartphones we miss out on moments because we’re too busy videoing whats happening around us. With Spectacles this isn’t the case. We can record memories whilst living through them, and that might just be worth $129.
References:
https://cnet4.cbsistatic.com/img/Apnq3RWNl0v21W71jbr-6Nimz80=/770×433/20…
https://www.spectacles.com/images/structured-data/og-map.png
http://cdn.vashtie.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Snapchat-Sunglass…
http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/5832e52bdd08955f6d8b4ed0-1795/s…
https://www.instagram.com/yusufomarsa/
https://assets.pcmag.com/media/images/526142-snapchat-spectacles.jpg?thu…