The development team behind Snapchat also stealthily makes hardware. Its Spectacles lineup of smart glasses was initially released in 2016 and has seen several iterations since then, including an AR-based pair yet to be released. The company’s newest hardware innovation is the Pixy, a cute yellow drone that’s basically meant to be a flying camera.
The Pixy isn’t a big, honking piece of plastic like what we’ve seen from actual drone makers like DJI (via TechCrunch). Instead, it’s a small, pocketable device with four tiny propellers. It’s no bigger than your palm, and it weighs just 101 grams. There’s also no controller, or even SD slot — there’s a camera dial to let you set how the drone will fly, while photos and recordings are stored in your Memories inside the Snapchat app.
Preconfigured flight paths include a regular floating mode, an option to orbit around you, and an option to follow you as you walk or run. Whenever you want to stop a recording, just place your hand beneath the drone, and it’ll land in your palm. As for battery life, you can expect to get five to eight flights before the battery is depleted.
This won’t replace a proper drone, but if all you want is to upload videos and photos taken from unique perspectives to your social media accounts — and you don’t really have an interest in prosumer models — it seems like a pretty great option. It even comes with a carrying strap to take it around with you wherever you go. Users in selected markets like US and France can get the Pixy for $230, and can also add a portable battery charger (coming with two extra batteries on its own) for an extra $20, bringing the total up to $250.
