Snap Spectacles user retention rate is ‘shockingly low’

Snap's first wearable sure was trendy but looks like the appeal may have worn off. Internal data for Snap Spectacles has revealed that less than half of users continue to use the smartglasses after four weeks.

That's according to Business Insider, whose source indicates the retention rate of usage is 'shockingly low'. A sizeable percentage even drop the Specs after just one week. The news follows a report earlier this week from The Information, which said that Snap has "hundreds of thousands" of unsold Spectacles despite surpassing its initial projections and selling 150,000 devices since the launch last year.

Read this: Snap Spectacles changed my vacation experience

If both accounts are true, it's not good news for Snap's ambitions to transform itself from the face behind mobile app Snapchat into a hardware company leading the first wave of camera glasses.

The company hasn't commented on the reports directly, though Business Insider noted that Snap has made it clear it has aimed to improve the Specs experience over the past year with software updates and is pleased with 73% of its Amazon reviews feature a five-star rating.

Where it goes from here is unknown, of course. After initial hype during the Specs' limited launch through Snapbot vending machines last September, the latest whispers would appear to suggest that the excitement has died down considerably.

And while Snap itself will be eager to prove it can offer sustainable hardware, it's also important to take into account the core of what Specs offer. This isn't a device that suited to being integral to your daily life in the same way a smartwatch or fitness tracker is aiming to be, and instead is something which is perhaps best saved for vacations or special occasions — a cycle down a waterfront, a view from the top of a hill or whatever you want to show off from your holiday.

Whether Snap can continue to lead its business with a part-time product remains to be seen.