MediaKix recently published a report detailing several Snapchat engineer hires from mobile firms such as Motorola and Verizon that suggest the company is working on a new product, like a smartphone. It’s possible these hires were simply made to help Snapchat build spectacles and better understand the mobile market, but I can see where MediaKix gets the idea.
“Snap went on a hiring spree for employees in hardware engineering, telecommunications and manufacturing logistics starting in August of 2016,” the company said. “These included electrical, mechanical, prototype, hardware, interactive, RF/antenna, and NPI (New Product Introduction) engineers as well as CMF (color, metal, finish) designers, industrial designers, and mobile services specialists. Of the 36 new hires since August of 2016, 16 have previous experience from Motorola, 7 from Apple, 6 from Google, 3 from HTC, and one each from Verizon and Nokia.”
MediaKix brainstormed what a Snapchat phone might look like, imagining a special 360-degree camera and functions that would allow the experience to center around the Snapchat app.
