Leaked video appears to show Snapchat's long-rumored smart sunglasses
UPDATE: Spectacles has now been officially confirmed.
Snapchat may be moving closer to launching its long-rumored wearable.
A video of what appears to be a commercial for the device -- apparently called "Spectacles" -- has surfaced, suggesting that the company may be getting ready for a launch.
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The video was first spotted by Business Insider's Biz Carson, who managed to capture the video before Snapchat had it removed from YouTube. The 30-second spot is light on details but clearly shows the glasses capturing videos, which are then shared via a smartphone. It's not clear whether these video are shared via Snapchat or another app -- the clip shows videos in landscape mode, which would be a departure from Snapchat's vertical video format.
The video has since been removed from YouTube -- Carson reports Snapchat had it removed, citing a copyright claim, following her request for comment on it -- but you can watch it in its entirety over at Business Insider.
Rumors about Snapchat's plans to enter the wearables space have been swirling for months. Notably, the glasses shown in the latest video appears to match those shown in paparazzi photos of Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel taken earlier this year. The company also reportedly went on a hiring spree in order to create a team focused exclusively on wearables.
While Snapchat has so far refrained from commenting on the matter, there are other signs the company may be moving closer to a wearable. Earlier this week, the company put up a new series of billboards and others ads in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., that depict the company's ghost mascot with its eyes wide open.
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Previously, Snapchat's ghost mascot always appeared without eyes. Given the video that was just leaked this hardly seems coincidental.
We've reached out to Snapchat for comment on Spectacles and will update if we hear back.
Topics Snapchat
Karissa was Mashable's Senior Tech Reporter, and is based in San Francisco. She covers social media platforms, Silicon Valley, and the many ways technology is changing our lives. Her work has also appeared in Wired, Macworld, Popular Mechanics, and The Wirecutter. In her free time, she enjoys snowboarding and watching too many cat videos on Instagram. Follow her on Twitter @karissabe.
