Snapchat co-founders Evan Spiegel and Bobby Murphy shared a range of augmented reality (AR) features at a virtual summit for partners last week. Snap Inc. released news on its latest AR glasses for creators, Spectacles and new shopping features.  

Snap Inc. revealed the new Spectacles, its first pair of AR display glasses designed for creators to overlay their Lenses directly onto the world. 

New features of Spectacles Include: 

• Dual 3D waveguide displays and a 26.3 degree diagonal field of view.
• The new Snap Spatial Engine that leverages six degrees of freedom and hand, marker, and surface tracking to realistically ground Lenses in the physical world.
• 15 millisecond motion to photon latency which allows Lenses to react quickly and appear accurately within the field of view.
• 2 RGB cameras, 4 built in microphones, 2 stereo speakers, and built-in touchpad controls.

Snapchat, which now reaches an audience of more than 500 million people globally, is pushing creators on the app and says 5,400 creators have collectively earned more than $130 million dollars from payouts. Some new features designed for creators include editing tools to create vertical videos and new tipping and gifting capabilities. In a bid to be more inclusive to creators, the App is also working with several noted directors of photography from the film industry to learn techniques they use to best capture actors with darker skin tones on its camera. 

Other news from Snapchat aimed to support businesses on the app include:

• A Scan feature that allows users to scan a friend’s outfit and shop the look. 
• Upgraded AR capabilities included voice-enabled shopping and commands.
• Snap and the LEGO Group have created the first Connected Lens so friends can collaboratively build with LEGO bricks on Snapchat. 
• Updated Lens studio, including API-powered Lenses.