Snapchat Android Smartphone With 360 Camera, Filters Reportedly Planned For Release

Snap Inc. could soon be joining the ranks of phone makers, like Apple, Samsung and many others. The California-based technology company is reportedly planning to launch its very own smartphone running on Android OS.

Daily Mail reported on Friday that the company behind Snapchat and Spectacles is contemplating on releasing an Android phone that would come with distinct camera features. The product is also said to work and sync with Spectacles.

As of late, the rumored Snapchat phone is still in the early process of development. There’s already a concept phone courtesy of a California-based marketing firm, but nothing has been set in stone yet. Based on the information leaked recently though, the handset could come with buttons that would make it easy for users to scroll through the different Snapchat Filters. The device could also have this one-touch capture function for easy and quick sharing of videos and photos. There’s also mention of a 360-degree camera.

Other leaked details point to a special lock screen that has shortcuts to notifications, messaging, updates and Spectacles-syncing. A rumored Discover screen, on the other hand, will display GPS, maps, Snapchat Stories and advertisements.

Daily Mail also learned that Snap Inc. hired around 50 hardware engineers and product designers recently, so it’s possible that the company could be serious in releasing this Android phone to the public.

Though Snap Inc. has yet to comment on the rumor, but the company that created the concept handset, Mediakix, already spilled the beans. “Snapchat's growth is slowing due to Instagram,” the company’s CEO and founder, Evan Asano, said. “We were thinking about how they could be more innovated than their competitors and since Snapchat has re-branded themselves as a camera app, we thought what could be changed about a mobile device to make the camera and messaging at the forefront.”

The news about the Snapchat Android phone comes after Snap Inc. made its IPO filing public early this month. The company at the time sought to raise $3 billion.

Check out the renders for Snapchat's reported Android smartphone below.