Snapchat, the ephemeral messaging app known for selfies and it’s amusing face filters, is looking to explore the augmented reality terrain further by launching its own AR glasses with Bluetooth.
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Popular social media platform Snapchat has become the newest member of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (Bluetooth SIG), amid rumors that the company is apparently planning to extend its presence into hardware by offering a wearable augmented reality (AR) device.
Bluetooth SIG membership is required for manufacturers who want to make use of wireless standards in their products.
Back in March, CNET highlighted the fact that Snapchat had added almost a dozen wearable technology veterans to its payroll.
The company has brought in electrical engineers, marketers and product managers from hardware start-ups such as Ring, Canary and Sphero and Facebook-owned Oculus, according to postings on LinkedIn. But Facebook has dabbled in hardware previously, including with a project past year where it offered free Bluetooth beacons to business owners as part of a wireless, location-based ambient advertising push.
AR goggles would be a good match for Snapchat, which already has 150m daily active users glued to their smartphone screens by letting them add animated filters to their self-destructing images and videos.
Snapchat has also acquired start-up Vergence Labs that was developing a headset similar to Google Glass.
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Snapchat declined to comment on the matter.
