Rumour has it that Snapchat is planning to move towards the augmented reality (AR) field following its decision to join the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), which maintains the Bluetooth wireless standard.

According to the Financial Times, this indicates that Snapchat is making moves to switch from software to hardware. This has increased speculation that the photo-sharing app is building a pair of augmented reality goggles similar to Google Glass. This comes after Snapchat recently hired a number of experts in the areas of wearable technology and eyewear (Fortune Magazine).

It is arguable that Snapchat is already working within the realm of augmented reality, providing users with an opportunity to fuse both virtual and reality through their popular filters. It makes sense that Snapchat would consider new technology that would work in tandem with their app, giving users an enhanced AR experience.

In the AR market, one of the most popular players is Oculus Rift, owned by Facebook. HTC and Sony provide application for the technology. However, given that Google Glass is undergoing redesign after its unexpected flop just three years ago, it begs the question, is the broad consumer segment ready for augmented reality hardware?

Following last month’s surprise in the social media sphere when Instagram introduced new features which all but incorporated Snapchat into their app, users questioned how Snapchat was going to alter its service to keep its 150m daily users engaged. It now appears they have been developing this alternative for a while. Snapchat has declined to comment on any of their future plans but here in Springboard PR, we are excited to see what all these resources are being used to create.

Post by Susie Horgan

Susie founded Springboard in 2011, and has developed the business into a leading, director-led communications agency. She has worked for over 20 years in senior marketing and public relations roles.