Snap
Snapchat's "Snapbot" vending machines are going on hiatus while the company starts selling its Spectacles online.
Until now, the only way to buy Snapchat's Spectacles has been through yellow vending machines that appear unannounced in random cities for 24 hours.
Starting Monday, Snapchat will also sell its camera-equipped sunglasses on its website. Anyone in the US can order a pair of the $130 glasses, which record 10-second video clips and connect to the Snapchat app.
Snapchat maker Snap Inc. is also shutting down its Spectacles pop-up store in New York City that's been open since late November. A spokesperson confirmed that the company's "Snapbot" vending machines will continue to appear throughout the US after going on a "brief" hiatus.
Snap made a big splash with the unexpected debut of Spectacles last fall. The product garnered long lines during the weeks leading up to the holidays, and pairs were quickly resold online for thousands of dollars. Demand has since slowed, and Snap likely feels confident that it can finally fulfill online orders.
Spectacles represent Snap's first hardware effort to rebrand itself as a "camera company" ahead of its $22 billion public offering in March. Snap said it had planned to "significantly broaden the distribution of Spectacles" in its IPO paperwork earlier this month, although the product "has not generated significant revenue" yet.