As Snapchat has expanded and introduced new features, the messaging app has grown in popularity and now claims the third spot as the most popular app amongst millennials. With over eight billion videos being sent daily, the app is seeking to diversify its brand with its upcoming Snap Spectacles release and a shiny new name – Snap Inc.
The rebranding of Snapchat to Snap Inc is just the beginning for the brand’s move as it steers into its new direction as a ‘camera company’.
Taking inspiration from previous video recording software, Snap Spectacles look like a pair of glasses, yet holds a video camera with a 115-degree angle lens positioned next to your eyes, providing point of view content. With a simple tap you can record up to 10 seconds of footage, which is automatically transferred to your Snapchat account, where you can send to your followers.
Google Glass hoped to break the wearable technology market back in 2013, however with the combination of a high price tag and the fundamental issue of privacy, the brand failed to hit the ground running with mainstream audiences.
The simplicity of the Snap Spectacles in comparison is what will help make these glasses stand apart from previous competitors, encouraging its users to use a familiar looking product whilst enjoying new digital experiences.
Whilst Snap Spectacles will retail for a much lower price, inevitably the issue of privacy will once again rise, with many feeling that their privacy will be invaded by the ability to capture video content without anyone’s knowledge or consent. Could it be though, that in years to come as the digital world expands and advances is this to become the new norm?
Set to launch over the festive period, we predict these glasses will soon top this year’s Christmas wish lists for many teens across the country.
From a simple photo sharing platform which launched in 2011 to the brand’s first product launch, the evolution of Snapchat has dominated the media world, and with its continued success the brand is set to become the most powerful mobile social media platform, paving the way for advances in how we consume mobile media.