Hello friends!
Okay, so we’re pretty stoked over here. As you know, we’ve been in production for a while now and today it’s actually happening! The first Narrative Clip units are on their way to you! Yes, that’s true: they’ve been assembled, tested, packed and shipped!
Here’s the last photo taken of our babies before they left on their long journey:
These are on their way to the very first backers!
For the rest, here’s what’s happening now.
Some background first. The three main reasons why we have been delayed with the mass production of Narrative Clip have been:
- A quality issue with the printed circuit boards (PCBs)
- A quality issue with the camera modules, causing a bit low yield
- Trouble with fine-tuning the plastic mix for some of the Clip colors, in order to retain both strength and color fidelity
The color issue is now considered solved and shouldn’t pose an obstacle to production.
We have also put some pressure on the suppliers and are receiving new batches of components of a more consistent quality. With these new components, we have built the first mass-produced batch of Narrative Clips which are the ones now being shipped.
However, with yields still being low – and thus the production line still too insecure and expensive – we have decided to replace the suppliers of PCBs and camera modules. It will take two weeks or so to get the components from the new suppliers over to our factory. In the meantime, we have enough components in stock to continue producing a few more small batches, which we will ship as fast as humanly possible. Still, the production pace is not at all as high as we would like and we will have to push the shipping date for some of you back further. Check back in on http://shipping.getnarrative.com/ to find out about your personal estimates. (Please note that the changes are not reflected at the time of writing, but we’re working on updating them as soon as possible.)
The best news here are that we are now on track for mass production. From here on it’s full speed ahead to getting Narrative Clips to all you fantastic Kickstarter backers and pre-order people.
The entire Narrative Team is on its toes to make this happen. Don’t forget to reach out to support.getnarrative.com with any question or comment you have. We love you all. Interested in knowing when your clip will ship? Check your order status!
Best,
Narrative Team
85 Comments
I so can’t wait… 🙂 Really hope I get it before Christmas 🙂
same
next Christmas?
HA!
I really hope I get before the 21st! Narrative Clip would be perfect to capture my two week holiday vacation – would wear it solid for the entire trip!
You. Are. Shipping. 22. Units. Out. Of. Over. 2300.
I just got my update. From Dec 9 to 27 of January. This is beyond ridiculous – nearly an entire year delayed. I really hope that your product is better than your ability to estimate ship dates.
awaiting my unit in SG
Getting redirected to a blog titled ‘we are shipping’ when you have just told me you aren’t shipping is infuriating 🙁
Mine has also been delayed from dec 9th to jan 27th, though I note the shipping page even claims that my original shipping date was dec 16th now!
in the page of shipment status I can read:
“All orders made on or after November 1st are estimated to ship at the beginning of February”
ok, but when I check my email I realised that my estimated shipment has changed another time, but this time on Feb 03!!
I am one of the backers who have been waiting for his units for over a year. My preorder was made before November and my estimated shipment is on February.
I was expecting my shipment on 16 December, and now I have to wait another 6 weeks … I don’t understand nothing
Dec 16th to Feb. 24th…. rubbish.
For what it’s worth- I ordered mine before November 1st- the shipping page states:
All orders made on or after November 1st are estimated to ship in February.
Seems like there’s a disconnect here. I was really hoping I would have this before a long holiday in early January.
you know what, i can whine about my Dec 9 to Feb 22 extension but as a fellow entrepreneur (i am cofounder of Layar) I know how hard and tough reality is. I cant wait, be it this week or in 3 months. I believe in you. Have some awesome holidays and keep on it! I’ll keep playing with my Glass in the mean time 😎
Glass?! So jealous right now 😛
I made my order around Dec 2012… I know it sucks to wait so much but, hey, I know it’s hard to start from scratch… been there too! (Not as cool as you my friend!)
As long as my unit works fine, I’m good. I’ll play with my GoPro’s in the meantime! :
XD
I first backed the project in November 2012 and ordered around February 2013. My narrative is supposed to ship on February 3rd, 2014. I have no reason to trust this estimate though, since all the estimates have been pushed over and over again. I’m hoping to get it by summer 2104 if I’m lucky.
It’s so bad…. Really guys, search for a job – a real job!
You are simply awesome, I can not find a better word to describe someone who announces another month and a half delay over a year delay by saying “we are shipping”. I feel betrayed, taken for a ride, kept in the dark, disappointed, annoyed… You are simply awesome… Carry on ship mine next millennium, “with love”
let’s just take a step back..
In April 2013, after weeks of fears from backers and buyers going unanswered/denial about delays, we had an elaborate piece of writing
“On the art of anticipating velocity (Memoto Shipping Update)”
In this, it was quite explicit about the issues, but it did add this little nugget:
“But let’s be clear:
1. We will ship. Memoto is a company we’re striving to build for the future and shipping the first units is an unquestionable founding stone.
2. We will ship within months. Not next year, not “sometime”, but as soon as physically possible.”
”
For those 22 of you who do have it (one with a dented box if the above photo has anything to go by!), congratulations, and Narrative sealed the deal. For the rest of us, Im just not going to believe a word i read until it actually turns up at my door and it actually works as sold..
Sorry, this got a little rant-y.
I think the biggest issue here is setting expectations. Obviously Narrative, you have a TON of people who were really excited about the product and project. That’s what the frustration and anger is all about…because everyone here really loves and is genuinely passionate about this project.
Let this be a lesson to all future Kickstarter/entrepreneurs and to Memoto/Narrative….don’t ever over promise and under deliver. Especially don’t keep setting unrealistic expectations and missing them by extreme amounts.
If you had originally said January 2014, might you have had fewer backers? Sure. BUT, you would have a lot fewer pissed off evangelists, and for all those who are getting them in December, they would feel incredible that they would get them early.
Yes, I am totally bummed that mine once again got pushed back from this week to December 23…I share in the frustration. I would have loved to have Thanksgiving and Christmas on the little device…. but, everyone…chill.
This is what you get when you back a new company, an unknown technology and a radical new product. This is a toy and a trinket, not something that you are going to die if you don’t get today. So…relax. The company has communicated in their best faith and has been awesome in responding to comments. If you don’t want delays and can’t handle this oh so strenuous journey, stop backing on Kickstarter and haul your unappreciative, lazy butt to Best Buy- I’m sure they have a Hello Kitty camera for you.
not every customer was from kickstarter.
And they never gave a hard and fast ship date. Ever. Should know better that when a website says there’s an estimate, that it’s just that.
Absolutely. I pre-ordered last May after reading about Memoto in a magazine. Shipping date keeps moving back and I keep reading breathless previews of the device (the latest in De Morgen yesterday). Not impressed at all.
Guys, the Kickstarter site is not a shopping channel. Its about supporting people to be innovative, creative, entrepreneurial and create things that otherwise may never have been made.
I believe this team is working in our best interests, while having to manage so many different aspects from design, manufacture, quality assurance and logistics to get us a device that will truly blow us away.
Lets be supportive of these guys who have taken a big risk with their lives to help make the world a more interesting place.
We didn’t all do kick starter – I just made a preorder – so for me it was a purchase not a bet.
Ah I see. Thats a different story then.
Are you kidding me? Another postponement? Sorry, but even my patience is at an end now. Are you sure this is the last slip? What if there are new problems with the new suppliers?
I understand the reasons for all the slips, but well, you should have planned for some issues in the first place. Nothing works smoothly the first time. Except for the planning you have my deepest sympathy for all the slips, but still I am very disappointed. Especially that I won’t get my clip before Christmas.
You guys definitely will make me think twice before supporting more Kickstarter projects.
I understand your frustration. I’ve been a supporter and a backer, but with this last “update” I can no longer support this organization. I like the people, but I don’t trust the company anymore. Like I wrote in my comment, I’m out. I’ve asked for a refund.
Having said that, please don’t let the level of incompetence displayed here affect your willingness to back other Kickstarter projects. I’ve backed 35 projects, and although a lot of projects have had delays, only one has been tainted with so many disappointments: Memoto/Narrative.
One more thing, this whole “We. Are. Shipping.” thing is like “Mission Accomplished”
http://cdn.theatlantic.com/static/mt/assets/international/mission%20accomplished%20banner%2023423423.jpg
My shippjng page says Feb 17? Is that Feb 2017?
Like many technical people I appreciate “reality” and “results” rather than “image” and “spin”. For months now we’ve seen blog article after blog article saying “we are (just about) to ship” and you don’t. You are treating your customers badly by “Media handling” your communications like this.
Finally, and importantly, please urgently publish an album of 100 or so real images in actual quality in a variety of lighting conditions. The tiny number of images you have published is again treating your Customers badly.
Hi Graham,
Sorry you feel that way. By request from you and many more, we’ve posted some more sample photos today (http://blog.getnarrative.com/2013/12/just-clip-it-on-how-to-use-the-narrative-clip-and-app/). Hope you like it!
I can also recommend this very long blog post from one of the customers/backers we’ve shipped to this week: http://liorahess.com/blog/24-hours-with-the-narrative-clip/
Best,
Oskar, Co-founder Narrative.
March 2 – March 17. You have to be frigging joking! FFS. I have an ORDER not a bet!
Also, did you really think Feb 17 was accurate up until TODAY?
Is it only the timing we are being cheated on? Can u share some of the real narrative pictures?
One thing that I do not understand is that, on one hand you say you need to change suppliers that should set back the things by two weeks, and then you turn around and delay everything by two months… What is the catch?
So, what s the difference between being one of the first backers or waiting until the product is ready and shipping to make a purchase? 2 or 3 weeks wait? Fu ck it, you made me lose faith in kickstarter.
Waiting mine too, in Indonesia. Though i made pre order since June 2013, the estimated shipment for my unit turn to Feb 17 (from Dec 16) 🙁
My update. From Dec 16 to 17 of February
This is just plainly ridiculous. You claim that shipping is now delayed by 2 weeks, yet you’ve pushed the estimated delivery date by 2 months. We deserve an explanation.
Narrative is a shell of a company. All we have now is a narrative of broken promises and missed shipping estimates.
So true! I agree completely.
So first I was happy that you are finally shipping. I had plans for alternate use of this device during the christmas and now you spoiled it AGAIN. 27 january?! F*ck this.
Hello,
Oskar here, co-founder of Narrative.
We are sorry about the delays.
For the past 18 months or so, the little team of ours have put all our commitment into building a great product and a great experience. We are, honestly, immensely proud that we now have delivered that. A huge part of that success is you, Kickstarter backers and pre-order customers that have both funded the progress and provided us invaluable feedback along the way.
The delivery does come later than expected and for that we are sorry. But we are in production and we are shipping. Now we’re doing everything we can to increase the pace in production to get you all your products as soon as possible.
We can’t tell how grateful we are for your support this far. Stay with us and this will be great.
All the best,
Oskar Kalmaru, co-founder Narrative
Thanks for this reply, Oskar, but – again – the tone of the original post was completely off the mark. Why didn’t the “up beat” tone at least show some of the more understanding feeling shown in this comment?
Whatever you all do next, you need to understand that communication can’t always be so ridiculously out of sync with how your customers will inevitably feel.
I look forward to – having missed easter, summer and now Christmas holiday seasons – receiving the wretched thing in February.. In the meantime, perhaps you could post MANY MORE photos to give people a proper impression of the output. Or is there something more depressing to come?!
Thanks William. Many more photos are definitely coming!
When? The only photos ive seen have come from the lucky tech bloggers who got their hands on a demo unit.
Why haven’t we seen any sample photos on the kickstarter yet?
We posted the first sample photos on Kickstarter in March: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/martinkallstrom/memoto-lifelogging-camera/posts/427831
More have been shared continuously on Facebook (facebook.com/getnarrative) Twitter (@getnarrative) and Instagram (@narrativeclip).
We will keep posting more sample photos and details on the app (currently available on App Store and Google Play btw).
Thanks
Oskar
The photos on that blog post are 450×600, 0.3megapixel.
The photos on the kickstarter post are 480×640.
Have you released any full res samples from the camera?
And how about someone with a camera show us how sharing a photostream to twitter or facebook looks?
To repeat the call: Please publish many **full resolution** photos from the unit, and show the quality in indoor and outdoor situations – i.e. in real settings.
Do this in the next few days.
We’ll keep posting photos and other material just like before. 🙂
And as more users start using their Narrative Clips I think we’ll see all sorts of photos coming out. Here are some from one user’s first day: http://liorahess.com/blog/24-hours-with-the-narrative-clip/
Do you have any reassurances to provide us that the upload issue is temporary or of something to do with her personal internet connection? It troubles me that she feels she cannot have it used all the time because she wouldn’t manage the uploads..
With 1,5 MB per image there’s quite a lot of data to upload after a full day of use. The upload is very fast but needs of course decent connection.
Does Narrative really exist in the world? Is there someone who has the real product of this?
Hi, here’s a post from one of our backers: http://liorahess.com/blog/24-hours-with-the-narrative-clip/. Best, SM
Is Laura the only person to actually have one of these? It seem odd that nobody else is publishing or commenting on it all..
Haha, no she’s not the only one. We can control a lot of things with our product but not how people choose to comment on it. 🙂
Indeed, that’s fair enough. I know when i do get mine ill be happy to share a few of my thoughts and photos. It seems part of the community spirit!
That we’d love! I really can’t wait. 🙂
Great to see some photos from a real unit.
Does look like the wide angle addon is going to be essential 🙁
Well, it’s official–I won’t get mine in time for my long-planned trip to New Zealand. Which was, literally, the entire reason I got the thing.
Thanks ever so.
I felt badly let down last night having another 8 week delay in shipping and sadly I still feel the same today. What does get me is that I bet a fair number of staff will have their camera for Christmas.. You are going to need to rebuild faith in the brand now as I suspect you have put some potential buyers off with the repeated delays. (I do understand these problems occur, but you have to rebuild confidence). Perhaps we could see some output from a production camera now, together with the fully formed web interface (maybe even demo android / ios apps) Come on guys, build the excitement again.
Hey Richard,
Thanks for your feedback. We’ll do all we can to not only speed up the production and shipping from here, but to share what’s happening in the product as well. Your excitement is the fuel for our team and we’d hate to see it go.
Best,
Oskar
Well, the timeline says it all…
Right, so they are 8 months late. Your timeline actually made me realize they weren’t as late as I originally thought.
If you know anything about technology, any kind of complex project or Kickstarter, this is the risk of trying something new. That’s why most of the world doesn’t want to take a risk, because it’s scary, new and unpredictable.
They are late. They are shipping. Get over it. Try using Google to find this article (http://money.cnn.com/interactive/technology/kickstarter-projects-shipping/) that shows that as of Dec 2012, 84% of the top 50 projects shipped late.
The ones that shipped on time? A print, a CD, a board game, a clothing dye, a circuit board, a figurine, a camera accessory and ONE complex computer peripheral….and even most of these have horror stories of bad news, bad batches and delays in shipments.
For crying out loud, a pair of boxers was 3 months late, a pen was 3 months late. Just put it into perspective a bit.
I’m sure the Narrative team wants to get these out as quickly as possible to get you haters off their backs.
Ok, so how about compensating for all these delays by extending our subscription by the same time. In my case that would be about a year extra.
To all of you who are upset about shipping delays, why not just chill, go over to eBay, spend $20, and buy yourself a “Mini DV MD80” or a “Mini DVR 808” camcorder that the model rocket hobbyists use? Yes, it has marginal build quality, quirky features, and the English directions are written by a Chinese middle school student with 2.2 GPA. But, for the price, it takes a pretty decent video, up to 2 hours long! I just popped in a Micro SD card, clipped it on, and now I’m sharing my fascinating trips to McDonalds, the 7-11, and the bathroom with my dearest friends. It’s way more fun than complaining, and I’m honing my surveillance techniques until the Narratives come in. Cheers!
How do I go about getting my money back? These delays are ridiculous.
Hi Jay, we hate to see you go this late in the game. Get in touch through support.getnarrative.com and we’ll process a refund. Best, Sarah
We. Are. Shipping. Later.
How long until you start shipping out refunds?
Hi, please get in touch with our support team at http://support.getnarrative.com/ and they can help you out with this. Best, SM
Hope mine is here for my Wedding – 1st Mar. My shipping moved from 1st Nov to Feb 10th + 2 weeks as out of EU/US. I leave my country to get married in another country on Feb 21st. So, this will be sitting here (maybe) whilst I’m off getting married, missed the estimated date by 3 days. Understand the process of building something new has issues but was hopeful that this would be here for my wedding. I have now given up on that completely – which was actually my only reason for ordering this in January. Not a backer I admit, but a very early pre order.
OH NOOOOOO. I’m basing a time sensitive project on the Narrative and if my shipping gets pushed out any further, I’m DOOOOOOOMED.
Was hoping to capture my daughter’s birth…now I can’t because of the shipping delay.
As someone who was an early backer, a beta tester and an early supporter, I’m so extremely disappointed in Narrative’s way of handling this. The only things I feel for Narrative now are sadness and anger.
The spin on this “We. Are. Shipping.” is a slap in the face of every backer.
Also, remember this promise?
1. We will ship. Memoto is a company we’re striving to build for the future and shipping the first units is an unquestionable founding stone.
2. We will ship within months. Not next year, not “sometime”, but as soon as physically possible.
Turns out that shipping is “next year” for the vast majority of backers and early supporters. There’s no compensation, only a “sorry” – a “sorry” that’s not heart-felt if you read the spin: “We. Are. Shipping.”
The level of incompetence shown here makes me worried about the sustainability of the company. The problem with this is that the Narrative loses a lot of its value if the company tanks, as you can’t get GPS data out of the images without a subscription to the service (which still, as far as I know will be priced at outrageous $108 per year, a problem that I wrote about here: http://swedishstartupspace.com/2013/06/18/why-i-asked-memoto-for-a-refund/ )
Memoto/Narrative have twice managed to convince me to stay as a backer. Fool me once, fool me twice …
I’m done. I’ve asked for a refund.
Jesus christ. This is ridiculous. January 27th?!
I live in Taiwan.
May Zi have any chance to get my Memoto by myself in Taiwan?
Update?
I got my clip. Thanks. I will take it over the day and give you a feedback tomorrow.
I was hoping to capture Comic-Con in July – no clip. I was hoping to capture my heart transplant but that happened in November – no clip. Now my ship date is the end of February, I wonder what life-events I’ll miss next? This is utterly ridiculous. If it ever does arrive will Memoto/Narrative even be around a year later? Ugh.
Got mine today. Was totally worth the wait. INCREDIBLE. I hope all you haters that cancelled your orders are blacklisted and never get a chance to own this. So proud to have backed this!!!!
Hi Tom,
Glad you are enjoying it!
Best,
SM
Woohoo! My shipment will be sent out yesterday. As soon as I will receive the yesterday’s email confirming this.
No, seriously guys, where do you get off with all this bullshit? Today is the 28th, the shipping page tells me I’ll receive the email on the 27th.
I’m sorry you feel this way but the website says your unit will ship this week. If we would get information from the factory that it for some reason isn’t being shipped you will here from us instantly. Best/ Oskar, Narrative
I’m sorry you feel that way.
What the shipping page says is that your unit is estimated to ship the week of 27th – and that there is an approximately 2 week lead time of shipping after that. While we ramp up production and set up the distribution it is unfortunately impossible to give an exact date for the definite arrival of your Clip.
I hope you understand.
Best/ Oskar, Narrative
It’s interesting how it’s my fault now for feeling upset about the yearlong delay and the terrible, often misleading communication from your side. This has been my first message in fact – I’ve been just patiently waiting, until you started claiming to be ready. It’s been almost half a year since then. We. Are. Shipping. also took unreasonably long. May I recommend you not giving any promises until you can fulfill them?
We do welcome *all* comments (really!). And there’s nothing strange with you feeling upset about the delay – on the contrary, we really appreciate your patience.
If your irritation comes from a misunderstanding of a message from our side, I feel it’s our responsibility to help clarify that message.
Please keep letting us know how we can improve.
Best/ Oskar, Narrative