SnapGlasses? Snapchat Allegedly Has A Thirst For HoloLens-Inspired Smart Glasses
Snapchat may have began as a simple photo and video sharing application for mobile users, but it's since morphed into a social juggernaut. Part of the reason why is because the concept is so simple and addicting, though there's more to it than that. The slow roll out of additional features like filters have kept users hooked, and they've also hinted at what might be in store for the future of Snapchat, one that trades the smartphone for smart glasses.
Sean Holister at CNET did some extensive detective work and what he discovered is rather interesting. For one, he notes that Snapchat is now home to almost a dozen wearable technology vets, plus some industrial designers with experience working on Nokia phones and Logitech's UE Boom Bluetooth speaker. This was all found by sifting through LinkedIn profiles.
What do Nokia phones and Logitech speakers have to do with Snapchat? Well, it hints that Snapchat is interested in hardware, not just software. It doesn't take a huge leap of faith to think that Snapchat's probably working on some kind of consumer product, the question is what exactly is it cooking up?
One potential product is smart goggles. Virtual reality and augmented reality are red hot categories right now, and with Snapchat being worth billions of dollars based on various rounds of funding, it could take a chance on something like this.
That's not a random shot in the dark, either. Back in 2014, Snapchat acquired Vergeance Labs, a startup that makes smart glasses similar to Google Glass. Five of the 12 former Vergence employees listed on LinkedIn still hold employment at Snapchat, two of which were consumer product designers.
Snapchat's also invested in a research division made up of several scientists and software engineers who are experts in computer vision and machine learning technologies, both of which are applicable to smart eyewear.
The founders of Snapchat have always had big ambitions for their company. They reportedly turned down consecutive buyout offers of $1 billion and $3 billion from Facebook. You don't reject that kind of money unless you think you're destined for bigger and better things.
Sean Holister at CNET did some extensive detective work and what he discovered is rather interesting. For one, he notes that Snapchat is now home to almost a dozen wearable technology vets, plus some industrial designers with experience working on Nokia phones and Logitech's UE Boom Bluetooth speaker. This was all found by sifting through LinkedIn profiles.
What do Nokia phones and Logitech speakers have to do with Snapchat? Well, it hints that Snapchat is interested in hardware, not just software. It doesn't take a huge leap of faith to think that Snapchat's probably working on some kind of consumer product, the question is what exactly is it cooking up?
One potential product is smart goggles. Virtual reality and augmented reality are red hot categories right now, and with Snapchat being worth billions of dollars based on various rounds of funding, it could take a chance on something like this.
That's not a random shot in the dark, either. Back in 2014, Snapchat acquired Vergeance Labs, a startup that makes smart glasses similar to Google Glass. Five of the 12 former Vergence employees listed on LinkedIn still hold employment at Snapchat, two of which were consumer product designers.
Snapchat's also invested in a research division made up of several scientists and software engineers who are experts in computer vision and machine learning technologies, both of which are applicable to smart eyewear.
The founders of Snapchat have always had big ambitions for their company. They reportedly turned down consecutive buyout offers of $1 billion and $3 billion from Facebook. You don't reject that kind of money unless you think you're destined for bigger and better things.
