Tencent, the Chinese behemoth behind WeChat has launched its own smart glasses that… wait for it… look almost exactly like Snapchat’s Spectacles.
Tencent’s new smart glasses are called “Weishi” and just like Snap’s Spectacles they have a camera in the front that allows users to film their POV. And while Snap’s Spectacles haven’t really sold well – despite the company’s insistence on launching multiple versions – if Tencent can convince even a small percentage of its 1 billion WeChat users to buy a pair, it will have a winner on its hands.
Tencent chose to skip the first generation of Spectacles – you know the colourful ones – and has instead gone for the the all-black minimal look, a lot like second-gen Spectacles. Does Tencent’s 17% share in Snap have anything to do with this?
Weishi – which means “micro shows” in Mandarin – is also a video app that Tencent has been promoting heavily in an attempt to overtake TikTok in China. TikTok is what is left of Musical.ly which was sold off recently. Further to the way Weishi works, the smart glasses have been created to allow users to record short videos rather than anything more sophisticated. If it took Snapchat’s example as a success story, then that’s just wrong. Snap still has over $40 million worth of its Spectacles that it has been unable to sell. Furthermore, Spectacles didn’t help Snapchat become any more popular.
The Weishi glasses haven’t been released officially yet, but here are the specs: They have an 8-megapixel camera that can shoot in 720p or 1080p Full HD. They can also be used to shoot remotely; they have several different modes, support live broadcasts, previews, and support uploads to the Weishi app through Bluetooth.
The Weishi glasses will be released and widely available on November 11th – Alibaba’s Singles Day.
You might also like
More from Tech
Decentraland Hosts First-Ever Metaverse Festival
The metaverse’s first-ever multi-day music festival will feature 80+ global music artists, a funfair, a human cannonball machine, and more.
What Happens In One Minute On The Internet, 2021 Edition
Did you know? Each minute, 208 rooms are created on Clubhouse, 240K photos are uploaded on Facebook, and Amazon shoppers spend $283k!
TikTok Launches Its First NFT Collection With Top Creators
TikTok is introducing a collection of culturally significant moments on the internet. The NFTs will be curated by some of …
WPP And Snap Announce Augmented Reality Partnership
WPP and Snap have announced an AR collaboration to deliver state-of-the-art marketing and commerce solutions for brands.
Amazon Unveils A Billie Eilish Echo Studio Smart Speaker
Amazon is releasing a Billie Eilish-themed version of its Echo Studio, which comes with a six-month Amazon Music Unlimited subscription.
You Can Now Use An Android Phone As A Google TV Remote
Google is now allowing all phones and tablets running Android 4.3 or higher to be used as remote controls for …
A Crypto-Trading Hamster Is Outperforming Human Traders
A day-trading hamster on Twitch is making more profits on his cryptocurrency trades than some professional traders and big funds.
Bubblehouse Launches First Social, Eco-Friendly, And Accessible NFT Marketplace
Bubblehouse has announced the first and only marketplace that makes NFTs social, accessible, and eco-friendly.
Captiv8 Expands Shopify Integration To Make Social Commerce More Accessible
Influencer marketing platform Captiv8 is expanding its partnership with Spotify to allow brands to manage branded shoppable content at scale.
