Snap reveals its Pixy drone for recording video from above
Snapchat parent Snap has introduced a new bit of hardware today. You say that you didn't know that Snap had released hardware before? You must not be familiar with Spectacles, the video recording glasses that Snap introduced in 2016. The company sold them through vending machines that would be moved every 24-hours to a new location. Originally, demand for the specs was so white-hot that the glasses, priced at $129.99, were posted on eBay for as much as $980.
The idea behind Specs is to capture video footage that would be sent to the Snapchat app where you edit it and share it with others. Last May, Snap introduced an AR pair of Spectacles that is not yet available to the public.
On Thursday, Snap introduced the Pixy during the Snap Partner Summit. The Pixy is a yellow pocket-sized battery-operated drone that allows users to record video and take photos while it is airborne. Similar to Snap's glasses, the video and pictures are sent to Snapchat to be edited and posted. The Pixy features four orange translucent propellers and a USB-C port.
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The device is priced at $229 and will fly up to 10 feet in the air. Fork over $20 additional dollars and you'll receive a dual battery charger that refreshes a pair of batteries at the same time. This purchase comes with a pair of batteries out of the box. You can also pay $19.99 for a Pixy battery that will power 5-8 flights using default flight mode.
The Pixy has a front camera that is used for videos and photos and the bottom camera "navigates the world around you." There is a dial that not only is used to turn the drone on or off, it also controls the flight path. Options include:
- Hover which flies around eye-level and seems suitable for selfie-like pictures and videos.
- Reveal-which sends the drone away from you while slowly rising.
- Forward-this setting has the Pixy follow you as you walk.
- Orbit-which makes a circular pass around you.
Snap obviously designed this to be easy to use and there are no controllers. Navigating the Pixy is done through the Snapchat app. Right now, the Pixy is available only in the U.S. and France and you have to wait 16-17 weeks for delivery. In other words, forget about sending mom a Pixy for Mother's Day.
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