Snapchat Announces Paid Add Ons for AR Lenses, New AR Initiatives at Lens Fest 2022
Snap is holding its annual Lens Fest event at this time, the place it’s already supplied a spread of latest insights into key AR advances, and the way Snapchat is aligning with the following digital connectivity shift.
Snap has additionally shared a spread of latest AR utilization stats and notes at the occasion. You’ll have the ability to tune into all of the Lens Fest periods on-demand here, however on this publish, we’ll have a look at among the key bulletins and updates.
First off, Snap says that the usage of AR for purchasing can also be on the rise, with greater than 250 million Snapchatters partaking with AR purchasing Lenses since January 2021.
Commerce is a key space of alternative for Snap, and with individuals more and more trying in direction of digital items, Snap’s additionally trying to merge in new choices, like buying digital clothing for your Bitmoji avatar, which might kickstart an all new fee ecosystem inside its app.
And this may type one other component – Snap’s introduced a brand new AR experiment which can see a small group of creators and builders engaged on new Lenses that can embrace paid add-on components, like different presentation codecs and digital enhancements.
For instance, with the primary Lens above – Potato Lens creator Phillip Walton says that users have asked for ways to enhance or upgrade the Lens with alternate variations. Now, underneath Snap’s new initiative, Walton can cost customers Snap Tokens to offer new outfits, so you possibly can flip the potato right into a police officer, a magician and extra, whereas additionally funding new innovation and improvement.
That may appear ridiculous to some – why would somebody pay for a brand new outfit for a digital potato? However with 250 million customers partaking with Snap’s AR components day-after-day, there shall be some inside that who shall be eager to pay for AR enhancements and additional options.
Get these additions proper, and it may very well be an enormous winner – and if Snap can get extra customers spending extra Snap Tokens, that shall be one other step in direction of constructing an extra income stream, each for creators and Snap itself.
Snapchat has additionally reported that its broader AR ecosystem is increasing, with over 300,000 AR creators and builders collaborating, contributing to greater than 3 million AR Lenses by way of its creation instruments.
That’s facilitating all new enterprise alternatives – for instance, Snap says that LA-based AR studio Paper Triangles generated near $4 million in 2021 alone by constructing Lenses for manufacturers like Sephora and Crocs. Snap additionally notes that varied massive manufacturers at the moment are trying to rent AR expertise.
That is more and more going to be an space of demand. As Meta seems to be to usher within the metaverse, and extra immersive digital environments turn out to be a extra frequent component of how we work together, each platform goes to wish builders, and inventive minds that may formulate fascinating, partaking AR and VR experiences.
AR instruments are one other step in direction of this, whereas the event of AR glasses can even facilitate all new connective use circumstances with extra immersive digital experiences.
On that entrance, Snap didn’t actually share something new about its AR Spectacles, however it did be aware that:
“Over the previous two years, tons of of builders from 30 international locations have experimented with our AR Spectacles, constructing tons of of Lenses proper in Lens Studio – from studying to learn music to saying what constellation you need to see.”
Snap is actively engaged on AR Spectacles, although they continue to be a approach off, however experiments like this spotlight the probabilities, and what you possibly can anticipate to see from Snap within the close to future.
With a purpose to hold fueling its AR improvement, Snap has additionally introduced a brand new ‘Lensathon’ occasion, which can see creators compete for a $200K prize pool. The occasion shall be open from now till January thirty first, and can encourage AR creators to ‘push what’s attainable in AR’.
It’s fascinating to notice the assorted AR improvements and advances we’re seeing, and what they could imply for the way forward for connectivity. Snap has made AR a spotlight for this motive, and it stays a pacesetter within the AR house, regardless of having considerably fewer sources than its a lot bigger rivals.
The subsequent query, at least on the AR entrance, is when will AR glasses arrive? Which nobody appears to know for certain, however they’re coming, and after they do, I might wager that Snap’s AR choices for AR units shall be considerably higher than what’s supplied by others within the house, be it Apple or Meta, or another person.
Snap is aware of tradition, it is aware of artwork, and it is aware of find out how to work with creators to facilitate next-level experiences within the house.
That can maintain Snap in good stead, and will see it turn out to be a key platform for the following stage.
