Snapchat could be working on new phone-free AR Spectacles

Snapchat could be working on new telephone-gratis AR Glasses — and a drone

(Image credit: Snapchat)

Snap may have a new pair of augmented-reality Snapchat Glasses in the pipeline — and they won't need to be connected to a phone to work.

That's co-ordinate to a written report from The Data, which believes the firm is working on a follow-up to its older manner camera-sunglasses hybrid. The updated AR Spectacles will overlay Snapchat lenses (or AR features) onto the external globe, pregnant you can get out your phone at habitation and enjoy pure sensory enhancement through your Snap eyewear.

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Previous generations of Snap'southward Glasses utilize a similar formula: replete with head-mounted cameras, people can capture photograph and video snaps from a conventional frame, and then procedure the images on their phones. If the new Glasses can show AR effects without needing a phone, information technology would give them a major new point of deviation from older models.

Not that consumers will necessarily exist able to purchase them anyway: right now, it sounds as if the glasses will just be available to developers and creators when they launch, rather than the general public.

That'southward partly considering Snap is reportedly eager for developers to, er, snap up the Spectacles and produce lenses and memorable experiences for the market place, merely information technology could likewise indicate that Snapchat is worried nigh potentially sluggish sales; the visitor reportedly lost $40 million on the original version.

What'south more, the latest-generation Spectacles three price $380 to purchase outright, which is hardly chump change, and you'd likely expect a next-gen version to cost even more.

The Information's report also suggested Snap is working on a drone: the visitor is said to have invested $20 million into a Chinese drone company, and engineers in Snap's mysterious hardware group, Snap Lab, have apparently fabricated drone evolution the focal point of their research.

While information remains thin on the basis, a Snapchat drone with the ability to overlay AR filters equally it zips through the heaven sounds like a winning combination. We'll watch with interest.

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Luke is a Trainee News Writer at T3 and contributor to Tom's Guide, having graduated from the DMU/Channel 4 Journalism School with an MA in Investigative Journalism. Before switching careers, he worked for Mindshare WW. When non indoors messing effectually with gadgets, he'due south a disc golf enthusiast, keen jogger, and addicted of all things outdoors.