A part of your world
Even if you’re not familiar with the term “augmented reality,” you may have experienced it. Remember the huddled masses wondering around the streets trying to catch all the Pokemon possible? Perhaps you were a player yourself, enveloped in a world of visual stimulation. Or maybe you were an onlooker, observing everyone’s screenshots of Pokemon lurking in real world places.
AR describes a live view of your environment with added elements that are computer-generated. So, in the case of Pokemon Go, you could view the characters through your phone as though they were truly in front of you. This can include sounds, video, and graphics. Augmented reality gives users the chance to further interact and visualize unreal features in the real world.
Most recent acquisition
Augmented reality is the future of all apps that are trying to enhance user experience. Snapchat is now adding to its already established AR library with its newest acquistion.
Snapchat recently purchased Cimagine Media, an Israeli startup, to enhance the features of their app.
Cimagine Media utilizes augmented reality to allow consumers to visualize products they are interested in buying. For example, if you wanted to buy a couch, you could use the app to see how the new furniture would fit in your home.
Snapchat paid a steep price to acquire the startup, a reported $40 million, in the hopes to use the service to create more lifelike lenses. With the addition of augmented reality, Snapchat can also increase their promotion capabilities. This includes superimposing products from advertisers, retailers, and other sponsoring partners in photos.
Everyone wins
Maybe you want to add a Starbucks Frappuccino in your hand even though you just made coffee at home? It is a win for everyone involved. Users will get to experiment with fun, new features, and Snapchat has the potential to gain a larger following and improve their marketing tactics.
As 2017 approaches, more apps are following suit to improve user experience. In the case of Snapchat, we will be able to see just how realistic some of the filters become.
