Snapchat brings AR to your screen, brace for awesomeness overload
Staying ahead of Facebook or providing a new feature for Facebook to copy? This is one question we are going to ask ourselves very soon. Snapchat has now gone ahead and introduced "Augmented Reality" in its app and by the looks of it; this will take no time to become a hit among the millennial crowd. Let's dive right in!
The rather rad world lenses for your stories
It's just a simple matter of opening the app, choosing a filter like you did before and then just taking the picture. Snapchat's new 3D lenses will eventually grow on you as you keep adding the initial offerings of a cloud, a rainbow, flowers and a giant "OMG". If you are being snobbish about slim pickings, give it time, more will eventually follow.
The augmented reality factor is an acquired taste
The objects in AR series in Snapchat would appear as real. Once you have chosen them, they would become bigger or smaller depending on how far you are from the spot. If you have dabbled with Pokemon Go, a viral sensation from recent past, you know what I am talking about. If you haven't, find it out and thank me later.
How does AR work in Snapchat
Snapchat makes use of video tracking in a very rudimentary way. The stickers in the World Lenses gauge the distance in real time and move accordingly. Snapchat's algorithm recognizes the physical attributes of the image while placing AR stickers, therefore, it becomes possible for the stickers to grow bigger as you get closer and smaller as you move away from it.
Nice AR filters Snapchat, but what about the rumour?
Former Snapchat executive Anthony Pompliano has accused CEO Evan Spiegel of saying that their app is "only for rich people" and so, he doesn't "want to expand into poor countries like India and Spain." Snapchat has been doing damage control refuting the allegations as baseless and saying that they were coming from a "disgruntled former employee", while also preparing themselves for a lawsuit.
You say unpleasant things, you get back in kind
After the alleged controversial statement by Snapchat got out, Indians have since been replying the app in kind on Google Play Store and social media platforms. When you say nasty things about one of the largest growing economies, you can be sure that the backlash will reduce the ratings of your app to one-and-a-half stars and #BoycottSnapchat will be trending on Twitter, for starters.
How quickly do you think Facebook will copy it?
Facebook seems to have a really big grudge against Snapchat and that is evident from them turning into a copycat and duplicating Snapchat features for its own platforms repeatedly and unabashedly. So, how fast do you think we are going to see a copy of this feature getting its Facebook debut? I say give it a week, what do you think?
