Why Is Snapchat Thinking About Using Drones?

Snapchat is much more than a photo and video messaging app these days. They’re now known as Snap, and Snapchat is just one of the services and products that Snap offers. They’ve rebranded themselves as a camera company, and are hoping to expand far beyond their messaging app.

Snap’s first major project was Snapchat Spectacles, which are sunglasses that allow you to record short clips of video. These videos are then sent wirelessly back to the Snapchat app, for you to send to friends and family. They allow others to see the world as you do, and to capture moments that you might not be able to capture quickly enough with a phone or camera.

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Snap is Working on a Drone
According to The New York Times, Snap is now working on a drone that can take pictures and record video from a bird’s eye view. Like Snapchat Spectacles, the drone is expected to then wirelessly transmit photos and video back to the app. You can then share the videos or photos with other users, or save them to your device.

Little information has leaked about the drones, however. It is still unknown how serious this project is — it could be released to the public, or it could not be. If it is released, it’s still unclear as to when it could possibly become available for consumers to purchase. Still, it is likely to be successful among Snapchat’s main user base — teenagers.

Snap’s Success
Either way, Snap is moving in the right direction by expanding its offerings. Snapchat has had a lot of success over the years, especially among teenagers. More than two billion messages are sent via Snapchat per day, and the average user opens the app about 18 times per day. They’ve had so much success that Facebook and Instagram have both introduced many features that mimic Snapchat features. In other news, The New York Times also reported that Snap’s stock has gone up. The company is now worth almost $25 billion.

The Future of Snap
In addition to drones, Snapchat is also very interested in the future of augmented reality. Snap already considers Snapchat to be a form of augmented reality, by offering users the chance to add amusing filters, such as dog ears or a flower crown, to a selfie. Snap’s CEO believes that augmented reality should be utilized for a more effective way to communicate and that it offers much more than a simple photograph.