Snapchat drone: the next Lily?

Snap is the company that owns one of the hottest social media apps Snapchat. But recently the company has worked on building its own Snapchat drone according to a report from The New York Times. It is said to have worked on a drone that would connect to the iOS and Android Snapchat app and let users take photos and videos from aerial angles and is believed to also have investigated and built a 360-degree camera. Details about the drone and any of its other capabilities remain under wraps, but the work is said to help Snap “bolster” its repositioning and rebranding as a modern-day camera company.

Business Insider reported that Snap has been in conversations with drone companies. Snap was interested in an acquisition with Lily Robotics which offers a drone that tracks and follows its owners and simultaneously shoots video, creating a hands-free recording experience similar to Hover Camera.

Let’s take a loot at Lily selfie drone firstly.

Shaped like a giant M&M with propellers, it measures 3 inches high (80mm) and roughly 10 inches square (260mm) and weighs 2.8 pounds (1300g) — and toss it in the air and its motors will kick in automatically as the drone takes flight. The body is completely sealed, too, so along with flying it in the rain or snow, you can actually toss it into water.

There is no radio controller for the Lily Camera drone, or at least it’s not a typical one with sticks and switches.

Out in front of Lily Camera drone is a built-in camera that uses the same 12-megapixel Sony sensor found in the GoPro Hero3and Ion Air Pro 3 action cams. Along with 12-megapixel stills, that camera can capture 1080p video at up to 60 frames per second or 720p at 120fps. Plus, the tracker has a built-in mic that’s synced with the camera, allowing you to capture audio from the ground.

It has a limited range. Altitude is set from 5 feet (1.75 meter) above you to a maximum of 50 feet (15m) with a minimum distance of 5 feet from you to a maximum of 100 feet (30m). It can reach a top speed of 25mph (40kmph).

Other issues are that it lacks gimbal and remote controller.

So is the Snapchat drone more innovative than the Lily drone? What can we expect from the Snap Drone? Would you buy a Snapchat drone? Let us know in the comments below.

 

 

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The Highly Competitive Consumer Drone Market

Consumer drone technology has gained incredible popularity in the past year. Drone companies are fighting tooth and nail to create unique, intuitive and innovative drone technology that not only stand out in the market, but also more affordable. However, some have succeeded while others have been held back, whether it’s funding, lackluster sales or insufficient R&D capabilities to innovate. The ruthlessness of the competition has shown its form this past year as a surprising number of drone companies or tech companies entering the drone arena have experienced different downfalls.

Just last month, drone startup Lily Robotics announced it was shutting down. Despite its 34 million USD in pre-orders, the startup was unable to secure financing to unlock its manufacturing line. “We have been racing against a clock of ever-diminishing funds,” founders of Lily drone stated.

Forbes reported how Lily’s demise is [just] the latest high-profile blunder in the difficult drone industry. “Late last year, GoPro, which had been promising a flagship drone for more than a year, had to recall its quad-copter, Karma.”

The recall was mainly a result of battery malfunctions that had its drones losing power mid flight. Soon after, the decision to cut about 200 jobs in an attempt to reduce operating expenses was announced. CNN Money noted that this came “just weeks after GoPro posted a significant sales decline and larger-than-expected net loss for the the third quarter [of 2016].”

Layoffs have darkened even Parrot’s story, which has a more extended history of building drones. Earlier this year, the company announced that it would be laying off a third of its employees (290 employees), in its drone division. Parrot’s struggle comes hand in hand with its attempt to gain consumer market share that is currently dominated by DJI.

The Verge analyzed why companies may be crumbling under the market pressure, “It’s hard to sustain growth with expensive electronics that get purchased once for niche industries and upgraded rarely over the next two or three years.” This is especially so for companies that only hold single digit market shares, like Parrot and 3D Robotics.

3D Robotics has in fact now redirected its focus to developing software for other drone makers, like Site Scan, an aerial analytics platform. The restructuring has come after 3DR experienced less than satisfactory demand of its Solo drone.

The former chief revenue officer of 3D Robotics himself stated, “It’s just going to be inherently more difficult for a Silicon Valley based, software-focused company to compete against a vertically integrated powerhouse manufacturing company in China.” 3DR CEO puts it simply, “Drones are really really hard to do well and you can’t just buy the parts.”

The challenge for most companies competing in the consumer drone market is getting such complex products out on the shelves at a competitive price and with quick turnaround, which Chinese manufactures like DJI or Yuneec are able to do. Though consumers are interested in diverse styles of drones, consumers look for something that has all three – easy to use, safe in the air and at an affordable price point. It will be interesting to keep an eye on what’s to come as more start-ups and players emerge from the Chinese market.

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