Snap Inc. really wants to make its “Spectacles” a thing. The odd-looking video recording glasses failed to make a splash last year, but a new report by Cheddar says Snap is giving Spectacles a  second chance with a hardware refresh expected to launch later this fall.

First released in 2016, Spectacles were supposed to be a way for particularly obnoxious Snapchat users to record 10-second video clips and share them through the app, but the $130 device did not find much of an audience.

Snap’s claimed last year that its Spectacles “exceeded expectations” with more than 150,000 units sold, but reports in October suggested that the company was stuck with hundreds of thousands of unsold devices. Snap confirmed those reports during an earnings call in November, when it revealed that the unsold units cost the company $40 million. Snap Chief Executive Evan Spiegel said during the call that the company was learning from Spectacles’ failures and planned to “avoid a similar mistake in the future.”

Aside from the gaudy design of Spectacles, many users found that the devices had mediocre video quality, which made it hard to justify buying a pair of spectacles rather than using the smartphone they already have. According to Cheddar’s report, video quality is one of the problems Snap is hoping to address with its hardware refresh, along with fixing bugs and making the devices more water-resistant.

Cheddar reported that Snap also plans to release “a more ambitious” third version of Spectacles in 2019, which will supposedly feature two cameras to enable 3-D video and augmented reality effects. The company is also considering adding GPS and other hardware features to the third version, which is expected to be priced at $300.

Snap had a rocky start after going public early last year, and the Spectacles flop did not help. However, the company later rebounded thanks to solid user growth and improved revenues. Snap’s investors will likely be skeptical about the new Spectacles versions, so the company will have a lot to prove if and when they launch.

Photo: Snap