Are Snapchat Spectacles Worth The Hype? We Put Them To The Test

The iPhone 7 might have been the most hyped product launch heading into 2017, but Snapchat Spectacles are quickly emerging as one of the most mysteriously cool releases of the year.

Unlike Apple's big September event, Snapchat's announcement of its new product, a pair of glasses that records short videos, came with little fanfare and even fewer details. There was just a blog post — put up on a Saturday, no less — offering a brief summary of how Spectacles work. There was no for-sale date and no mention of price. With that one post, Spectacles were quickly on their way to becoming one of the weirdest, most whimsical tech releases ever.

That status was confirmed earlier this month, when they suddenly became available from a single Snapbot vending machine in L.A. That bot has been followed by ones in select other locations and the exclusivity has spawned Snapbot locator apps and numerous articles guessing at future spots. Thanks to rental company Lumoid, we got to spend Thanksgiving break with a pair of the hardest-to-get shades in the world.

Are Spectacles worth the insane lines and speculation? Here's everything you need to know about them.