Despite long lines to get a pair of Snap's Spectacles near the end of 2016, enthusiasm for the product appears to have cooled, at least at the company's New York store.
In November, people waited outside the store for up to 18 hours to be the first to purchase the combination glasses and video recorder. However, a midday visit to Snap's physical store on Thursday revealed there was no one in line to get the product.
Spectacles are Snap's hyped video recording smartglasses, which were released on Nov. 10, 2016. The glasses retail for $129 + tax. The only way to buy a pair is from a Spectacles vending machine at the New York retail location, find the roving Spectacles vending machine around the world using clues on its website, or buy it used from a third-party.
The store was initially intended to close at the end of 2016, but got extended to Feb. 19, according to a store employee. But even at its peak, the store never sold out of the Spectacles, they said. Since the beginning of the year, very few people stop by to purchase a pair especially during the day, they added.
Snap is expected offer an IPO in the next few months, and is valued at up to $25 billion. The smartglasses marked its first foray into hardware.