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Snapchat maker is using this obnoxious vending machines to sell its Spectacles glasses

Is this the most unconventional launch for a wearable ever?

 

Mike Wehner

Tech

Posted on Nov 10, 2016   Updated on May 25, 2021, 2:50 pm CDT

Snap—the makers of Snapchat who recently changed their name a bit—announced its Spectacles camera glasses back in September, but has remained quiet about their official launch. Today we found out how the company plans to sell the glasses, and it’s just as unusual as the shades themselves. 

Snap

Rather than launching Spectacles via a web store or through an in-app order feature, Snapchat plans to roll out “Snapbot” vending machines which will take your credit card and spit out a pair of the $130 app-connected sunglasses. 

What’s particularly hilarious is that the Snapbot has a massive circular animated screen, complete with its own Snapchat-style filter that shows what you’ll look like with the glasses on before you even buy them. When it’s not being used as an augmented reality dressing room, the screen becomes a massive eye, making the machine appear like something out of a Pixar movie. 

Snap

Snap’s official website has a new countdown clock (though it’s not active yet) that will eventually become a tool for finding the nearest Snapbot so you can pick up a pair of your own. 

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*First Published: Nov 10, 2016, 8:04 pm CST