Snapchat is looking to grow beyond its app, but does it have what it takes to build a phone to compete with Apple?
Snapchat’s parent company, Snap, has gone public and looking for ways to make its shareholders happy. And what better way than to create the next iPhone. After all, Snap now considers itself a “camera company,” but more along the lines of Apple than Kodak. Watch the video above to see how Snapchat plans to grow up.
Marketing firm MediaKix has created a Snapchat phone concept using information from Snap’s IPO filing. According to MediaKix, a Snapchat phone could potentially be the first smartphone to incorporate a 360-degree camera. Given that Snapchat also popularized selfie filters, augmented reality capabilities could also be part of its iPhone killer.
Leading up to its IPO, Snap hired talent away from Apple, HTC, Google, Verizon and Nokia, which signals an investment in some sort of mobile device. Plus, a phone wouldn’t be the company’s first piece of hardware. Snap’s camera-equipped Spectacles just recently went on sale. And even though the product only has basic recording and sharing capabilities, it’s easy to see how future models could become everything we once envisioned for Google Glass.
What do you think? Is Snapchat capable of giving Apple a run for its money? What new features do you foresee for a Snapchat phone? Let us know by commenting on Macworld’s Facebook page and Twitter feed.
Previously on The iPhone Show: iPhone 8 rumors point to 3D camera and OLED function bar
Author: Oscar Raymundo, Staff Writer
Oscar writes about iOS, mobile culture and digital music. He also hosts 'The iPhone Show' from Macworld's San Francisco HQ.