Snap, the maker of the Snapchat messaging app, has lengthy situated itself as a digicam corporate.
On Thursday, it unveiled a flying one. Known as Pixy, the drone digicam can lend a hand other folks take selfies with out assistance from a selfie stick. Customers hang the pocket-size digicam of their palm and choose a flight mode by means of a dial at the tool’s frame. The system then flies for a minute, taking pictures and movies that it downloads to the consumer’s non-public Snapchat force sooner than touchdown again within the consumer’s palm.
“It offers you a wholly new standpoint, in reality means that you can have a laugh and move hang around together with your circle of relatives and create movies all in combination,” Evan Spiegel, Snap’s leader government, mentioned in an interview.
Pixy is Snap’s first {hardware} product since Spectacles, which have been glasses with embedded cameras and augmented-reality options. Spectacles debuted to hourslong strains in 2016 however in the long run underperformed. In 2021, Snap launched a brand new model of Spectacles that permit other folks see augmented-reality filters overlaid at the bodily global.
Snap is promoting Pixy for $229.99, with further batteries for $19.99 and a twin battery charger for $49.99. The corporate mentioned it deliberate to promote the digicam “whilst provides closing” in the US and France.
In 2020, Amazon additionally introduced a flying digicam, the $249 Ring All the time House Cam. The surveillance drone flies round its proprietor’s house and data video, ostensibly for safety functions. It was once right away pilloried on social media as a privateness danger.
Mr. Spiegel mentioned he was once unfamiliar with Amazon’s product. He mentioned Snap’s flying digicam was once no longer a privateness drawback as a result of its vivid yellow colour, recording mild and engine sounds made it conspicuous.
“I don’t assume there are privateness issues in the case of other folks being recorded with out their wisdom,” he mentioned.
Snap introduced Pixy along a collection of augmented-reality merchandise — which overlay filters and visible results on the actual global — at its annual match for builders and advertisers. It additionally presented new gear for companies that permit customers to just about check out on their merchandise. Snap mentioned other folks had engaged with its merchandise for augmented-reality buying groceries 5 billion occasions since January 2021.
“We see our largest alternative through the years to in reality be reinventing the digicam,” Mr. Spiegel mentioned. “Pixy is a continuation of this experimentation and innovation round what the digicam is able to.”
