Snapchat Spectacles melt while charging sparking safety concern over wearable

An owner of a pair of Snapchat Spectacles has claimed that their snap-happy glasses melted inside its charging case. According to the source, the clip-capturing wearable was left on charge for around half and hour before transforming into a "wired mash" due to overheating.

The owner, who purchased the now fried pair from a pop-up store, explained that they had previously charged the glasses on multiple occasions using the provided cable and an Apple iPhone mains plug. After discovering a burning smell, however, they noticed that the case "had melted the internals."

"The big button and LEDs...all that is now a wired mash," the unnamed owner shared with TechCrunch. "The case was very hot when I went to touch it. I unplugged it and let it cool off. Luckily, the Spectacles weren't inside the case, so they didn't go this [sic] same route as a Note 7."

When asked about the burning biofcals, a spokesperson for the spectacles' creator Snap Inc. issued the following response to TechCrunch: "Our team is in touch with this customer and we are working with him to investigate this issue. We can't comment further until we know more, but want to emphasize that nothing is more important to us than the safety of our community."

Snap Inc. also reportedly offered to replace the toasted pair by hand and confirmed that it would perform an investigation to confirm why they melted in such spectacular (sorry) fashion.

Snap Inc.'s quirky, colourful "smart glasses" were popular among avid Snapchat fans in the US following their release in late 2016 despite limited availability and a less-than-conventional sales method.

In spite of their scarcity, the camera-fitted wearables quickly became a "must have" for Snapchat addicts hoping to add some first-person flair to their social videos. The connected spectacles are capable of recording 10-second video clips through a 115-degree lens to share via the Snapchat app's "Memories" feature.

Unfortunately for those looking to snag a pair of the sought-after glasses, buying one primarily involved chasing around roaming "Snapbot" vendors, although many pairs later showing up on auction sites like eBay with astronomical price-tags of just under £1,000. The Snapchat Spectacles' official price was $129.99 (£104).

With the fallout of the exploding Samsung Galaxy Note 7 debacle still fresh in the mind, concerns over overheating tech is higher than ever, and while there is a very reasonable chance this is a one-off faulty pair, if you happen to own a pair of Snapchat specs then it might be worth keeping your nostrils open.