Snapchat gets major update: New AI features, AR glasses, simplified design and more

Snap Inc. made a splash at its annual Partner Summit (SPS 2024), announcing a host of new features and products designed to transform how users interact with augmented reality (AR) and the Snapchat platform.

Introducing Spectacles: Standalone AR Glasses

Snap Inc. unveiled its fifth-generation Spectacles, AR glasses that allow users to experience Lenses and interact with the world in a new way. These see-through, standalone glasses are powered by Snap OS, a groundbreaking operating system designed to enhance real-world interactions.

"Spectacles are the result of a decade of research and development to introduce hardware that breaks the bounds of screens and brings people together in the real world," the company said in a statement.

Key features of Spectacles include:

Lightweight Design: Weighing only 226 grams, less than half the weight of typical VR headsets.

Hand and Voice Control: Intuitive navigation with hand gestures and voice commands.

Snap Spatial Engine: Enables realistic three-dimensional rendering of Lenses in the user's environment.

Shared Experiences: Designed for collaborative and multiplayer AR experiences.

Developer-Friendly Platform: No developer tax and new tools for building and sharing Lenses.

Partnerships: Collaborations with companies like LEGO Group, Lucasfilm, Niantic, and OpenAI to create innovative AR experiences for Spectacles.

A Simplified Snapchat Experience

Snap Inc. is testing a redesigned Snapchat app that simplifies navigation and prioritises communication and content discovery. The new design features:

Open to Camera: The app launches directly into the camera, encouraging users to capture and share Snaps.

Unified Chat and Stories: Conversations and Stories are combined in a single tab for a more streamlined experience.

Personalised Content Feed: A unified recommendation system combines Stories and Spotlight videos, prioritising content from friends and relevant recommendations.

New AI and Chat Features

Snapchat is introducing AI-powered features to enhance user interactions and creative expression. These include:

AI Lenses: New AI-powered lenses, including one that predicts a user's future appearance.

AI Memories: AI-generated collages, video mashups, and captions for Memories.

My Selfie: A feature that allows users to create an AI-generated representation of themselves for use in Snaps.

Enhanced My AI: Expanded capabilities for My AI, including interpreting parking signs, translating menus, and identifying plants.

Improved Communication Features: Local time zones in chat, enhanced HD video calls, and Snap Mail for asynchronous communication.

Empowering Creators with New Tools

Simplified Profile Design: Easy toggling between personal and public accounts, with enhanced customisation options for public profiles.

Templates for Snaps: Pre-designed templates for creating visually appealing Snaps from photos and videos.

Replies and Quoting: Improved engagement features for creators to interact with their audience.

Snap Star Collab Studio: Facilitates partnerships between creators and brands, with access to engagement and demographic data.

Pushing the Boundaries of AR

Snapchat Cam Expansion: Bringing Snapchat's AR experiences to more real-world venues, teams, artists, and broadcast partners.

Lip Syncing Lens: A new Lens that allows users to create lip-syncing videos with a library of music tracks.

NYX Beauty Bestie: An AI-powered Lens that recommends personalised makeup looks.

Lens Studio: Empowering AR Creation:

Snap Inc. is enhancing its Lens Studio AR authoring tool with AI-powered features to make AR creation more accessible and powerful, including:

Easy Lens: A chat-based interface that uses large language models to help users create Lenses quickly and easily.

GenAI Suite: A suite of tools powered by generative AI, including an Animation Library, Body Morph for 3D character creation, and Icon Generation.