There’s no doubting Snapchat app’s popularity, but can the company translate that same success to hardware?
Snapchat wants to start designing and selling devices to consumers, a new report claims.
According to Cnet, the software company is gearing up to launch a wearable, although details on the matter are light.
It’s said that Snapchat now has “nearly a dozen wearable technology vets” on its payroll. What’s more, the company is hiring designers and engineers related to the manufacturing of hardware.
As a result, Cnet believes Snapchat may be working on smart glasses, in a similar style to Google Glass or Microsoft’s HoloLens.
Microsoft HoloLens augmented reality headset
Notably, one of Snapchat’s more recent hires is Matt Dixon, a recruiter formerly posted to Microsoft’s HoloLens project. His LinkedIn profiles notes the following: “I’m currently building capabilities for a stealth group here on Venice Beach”.
Then there’s Eitan Pilipski, a former Qualcomm employee that joined Snapchat as an engineering director earlier this year. While at Qualcomm, Pilipski worked on the Vuforia team, which develops computer vision technologies for augmented reality.
Related: What is HoloLens?
Cnet notes that several of the device-related hires are known to be working in Snapchat’s mysterious Snap Lab division. Unfortunately, Snapchat hasn’t detailed exactly what it is that Snap Lab does.
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Do you think Snapchat is working on AR glasses? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.