Watch Out: Snapchat Just Got a New Name and A Pair of Hater Blockers
And brought glasses to the game...
The Short of It:
Snapchat's company name just "pulled a Snapchat" and disappeared forever.
The Longer Version of It:
Snapchat just revealed it has a new corporate name: Snap Inc. as well as a a new line of business. The company just launched their new video-enabled sunglasses, which are set to cost $130 and will upload 10-second video clips to the social service.
The new video glasses, called Spectacles, sound a lot like those Google glasses no one every bought and are expected to see a limited quantity launch in late fall. The glasses connect directly to the Snapchat app via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, and will transfer videos that capture the human visual perspective with a 115-degree field of view.
CEO Evan Spiegel, published a blog post on Saturday explaining the name change and how it matches wit the new direction of the company which is expanding beyond Snapchat's original app.
"Now that we are developing other products, like Spectacles, we need a name that goes beyond just one product — but doesn't lose the familiarity and fun of our team and brand," he wrote.
The Takeaway:
Everyone's curious about how Snapchat will pull this one off. That's because they all remember the utter fail that came from Google Glasses launch back in 2013 and was put "on hold" for production after high costs, low-buys and privacy concerns were raised. The Specs are cheaper and "wearable" unlike the high tech looking headset that Google had created. The lower price of the new specs along with Snap's attention from a younger audience sees that this might just be the new tech it needs to bring the company to the next level. Watch out Facebook.