Pixy, we hardly knew ye.
Less than four months after Snap CEO Evan Spiegel unveiled Pixy, a drone-powered camera that can record videos and photos for sharing on Snapchat, the company is shutting down development of the device.
Pixy, currently priced at $250 apiece, remains available for purchase in the U.S. for now (presumably until inventory runs out). According to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the news, Spiegel informed staffers in a recent Q&A session that the Pixy project was getting scrapped as part of a reprioritization of company resources.
Snap declined to comment on the decision to shut down Pixy.
Snap Inc. still describes itself as “a camera company,” but so far none of its products beyond the core Snapchat app have taken off. Back in 2016, the company introduced Spectacles, its line of camera-enabled sunglasses, and simultaneous renamed itself from Snapchat to Snap. The luxury-priced Spectacles failed to sell in significant numbers, and Snap has since scaled back its wearables efforts to target creators and power users.
Snap, which cited weakening advertising demand for missing second quarter 2022 earnings estimates, is also reportedly planning a wave of layoffs. As of the end of June 2022, the social messaging and media company had 6,446 full-time employees, up 38% year over year. Snap will “substantially slow our rate of hiring, as well as the rate of operating expense growth,” it said in announcing Q2 results. We will reprioritize our investments and drive a renewed focus on productivity.”
In announcing Pixy at Snap’s Partner Summit 2022 in April, Spiegel touted the flying camera: “Everything you need to capture the spontaneity and fun of the moment from new perspectives is right in the palm of your hand.” The 3.6-ounce Pixy measures 131.7mm x 106mm x 17.6mm and includes a rechargeable lithium-ion battery.
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