Snapchat made headlines at its annual Partner Summit (SPS 2024) by unveiling a series of innovative products and features designed to enhance user interaction with augmented reality (AR) and the Snapchat platform.
These updates represent a significant leap forward for the company, particularly with introducing new AR glasses and AI-powered tools designed to revolutionize users’ experiences and content creation.
Spectacles, Snapchat’s next-gen AR Glasses
One of the most anticipated announcements was Snapchat’s launch of its fifth-generation Spectacles, standalone AR glasses that offer a completely new way to experience lenses and interact with the environment.
These lightweight glasses, weighing 226 grams, are powered by Snap OS, a cutting-edge operating system that enables real-world interactions beyond traditional screens. The glasses feature intuitive hand and voice controls, allowing users to navigate effortlessly, and are equipped with Snap Spatial Engine, which delivers realistic 3D rendering of Lenses in the user’s surroundings.
Spectacles are designed to facilitate shared and multiplayer AR experiences, making them ideal for both individual users and collaborative activities. Snapchat has also emphasized the platform’s developer-friendly nature, offering new tools for building and sharing Lenses without any developer fees. Partnerships with prominent companies like LEGO Group, Lucasfilm, Niantic, and OpenAI promise to bring a wide range of innovative AR experiences to Spectacles users.
A more streamlined Snapchat experience
In addition to the hardware innovations, Snapchat is testing a redesigned app that simplifies navigation and enhances content discovery. The new design opens directly to the camera, encouraging users to capture and share Snaps more spontaneously.
The app now combines Conversations and Stories into a single tab, creating a more unified and streamlined experience. A personalized content feed has also been introduced, which merges Stories and spotlight videos, prioritizing content from friends and relevant recommendations.
Going the AI way
Snapchat is also comprehensively integrating artificial intelligence into Snapchat, introducing several new AI-powered features aimed at enhancing user interaction and creativity. Among these are AI Lenses that can predict future appearances and AI Memories that generate collages, video mashups, and captions from users’ past content.
The new “My Selfie” feature allows users to create AI-generated avatars in Snaps. At the same time, “Enhanced My AI” expands the platform’s capabilities, including interpreting parking signs, translating menus, and identifying plants.
Further communication improvements include adding local time zones in chat, enhanced HD video calls, and a new Snap-Mail feature for asynchronous communication. These updates are designed to make Snapchat more intuitive and user-friendly, catering to the evolving needs of its global audience.
For creators and AR
Snapchat. has also introduced new tools and features to empower content creators. A simplified profile design now allows for easy toggling between personal and public accounts, with enhanced customization options.
Creators can use pre-designed templates to create visually appealing Snaps and engage more effectively with their audience through improved replies and quoting features. The new Snap Star Collabor Studio facilitates partnerships between creators and brands, providing access to valuable engagement and demographic data.
To further expand AR’s boundaries, Snapchat is expanding its AR experiences to more real-world venues, artists, and broadcast partners. The introduction of a Lip-Syncing Lens allows users to create videos with a wide range of music tracks, while the NYX Beauty Bestie Lens offers AI-powered makeup recommendations.
Snapchat is also enhancing its Lens Studio AR authoring tool, making AR creation more accessible with features like the Easy Lens chat-based interface and the GenAI Suite, which includes tools for 3D character creation and animation?
These updates mark a significant evolution for Snapchat, as the company continues to innovate and expand its offerings in AR and AI, providing users and creators alike with powerful new tools to explore and express their creativity.