Shifting gadgets like it's 2002
Snap has revealed that it has sold over 150,000 Spectacles since landing in Snapbot vending machines last November.
Speaking at Vanity Fair’s New Establishment Summit, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel indicated that the trendy smartglasses have now surpassed sales of the iPod in its first year, and that the initial expectation was to shift only 100,000 units.
Spiegel also reiterated the camera company’s desire to push further into the hardware realm, saying that “so many things” are set to come to Spectacles and the current model will form a base for innovations to come over the next decade. The main rumours we’ve seen in this area point to augmented reality glasses, which build on its phone filters, in Snap’s future.
Read this: Snap AR smartglasses investigation
However, the Snap boss also noted that the process of selling a long-term vision to investors has been more challenging than expected.
“One of the things I did underestimate was how much more important communication becomes. When you go public… you really need to explain to a huge new investor base, right – instead of having 10 new investors, you have 10,000 – you have to explain how your business works.
“And at the same time, there are also all these new regulations about what you can and cannot say and how you can communicate. So I think one of the things we’ve been going through this year is how to communicate the Snap story,” he said.
So while Snap’s Spectacles have certainly caught on over the past year, and also seen steady growth with around 60,000 units shifted since we last saw sales figures back in May, whether it can convince investors it has a future in the space remains to be seen.
