Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday shared his vision of Facebook’s future at the annual F8 developers conference.
And people couldn’t help but notice that the subtext of this vision seemed to be all about one thing: Facebook crushing Snap.
Facebook launched a bunch of new tools that will let programmers write apps that turns your phone’s camera into “augmented reality” (AR) device. AR is when digital stuff is overlaid on top of the real world. This can be fantasy images like rainbows or masks on a person’s face (for example Snapchat filters). Or it can be useful stuff, like information about the bottle of wine in a photo.
For instance, Facebook announced a development tool that lets developers write effects for Facebooks AR app, akin to Snap’s filters.
There was more than a little bit of a hint that Facebook is working towards eventually making AR glasses, something Snap wants to do with its Spectacles video glasses.
Facebook’s new tool Precise Location tool is nearly the same as Snap’s new feature, also announced on Tuesday, World Lenses.
And the impact was not lost on attendees.
Twitter was lit up with comments on how Facebook’s whole developers conference seemed to be geared toward crushing Snap.
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https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/854389576957386753
The opening slide from Zuck at #f8 is literally Snapchat’s entire vision. I can’t imagine what people at Snap are thinking right now. pic.twitter.com/Sw3b6ICVpq
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Snapchat: “We are a camera company”
Facebook: “Hold my beer”#F8
Remember, Facebook tried to pull an Instagram and buy Snapchat several years back when it was still tiny, offering a reported $ 3 billion. Snapchat said no.
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https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/854390194988036100
If you can’t buy them copy them until people forget which one came first. #f8 https://t.co/ExHRdmqI4H
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https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/854390112712404992
The basic jist of #F8 so far – we, @Facebook, are going to commoditize everything @Snapchat has built #zuckerberg $ FB $ SNAP pic.twitter.com/qY3DlIo1nA
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Snap: we are a Camera company
Facebook: we are building an AR platform on top of Camera#f8
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https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/854388127951204352
I cannot get over the shade of consistently referring to the “camera” (ie. lenses) as AR in its “first” or “primitive” state. #f8
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https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/854388443631108096
Facebook maybe coping a concept from @Snap but man, they know how to scale a software for the masses.
Check out FrameStudio & AIStudio #f8 pic.twitter.com/r3h8ckDHFz
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FB is allowing devs to create their own AR camera elements. Think face masks & other layers. Basically, HUGE middle finger to Snap #F8 🖕
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https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/854388640704864262
.@Snap better sell to Disney asap. Mark isn’t playing. #F8
To sum up the general reaction to Facebook’s grand new master AR plan, “So basically #F8 is all about crushing Snap into smithereens. Got it.”
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https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/854389845744955392
So basically #F8 is all about crushing Snap into smithereens. Got it.
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https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/854386001082433536
#f8 keynote recap:
2016- we have a 10yr plan
2017- we are fending off @Snap with our scale & open source community
