During Meta’s Connect developer conference, CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled Orion, a cutting-edge pair of smart glasses that the company envisions as the catalyst for the next major evolution in personal computing
Why Social Media Companies Keep Copying Each Other
Snapchat is combining its Stories and Spotlight functions into one vertical video feed. That feed just happens to look almost identical to TikTok.
The new function, called Simple Snapchat, taps into the endless scroll of short-form video that’s flooding the social media industry, from TikTok to Instagram Reels. Snapchat has been burned before: Back in 2016, Instagram launched its own Stories function, which looked quite similar to Snapchat’s longtime offering. Now, it seems Snapchat is picking up on the thread: To make it as a major social media company, everyone needs to copy a little.
IS SIMPLE SNAPCHAT A TIKTOK RIP-OFF?
The video function in Simple Snapchat isn’t new—it merely combines the app’s Stories and Spotlight content into one bottomless feed. What is new, though, is the layout and backing algorithm. In a release, Snapchat called it the “first-ever unified recommendation system that makes for our most personalized experience yet.” That system is built on the impulse of TikTok’s For You Page (FYP); the bubbly engagement buttons even look like it.
While Snapchat declined to comment on the similarities, the company has been signaling a move toward a TikTok-ified system throughout its last few filings. “One unified feed of content, but also the ranking stack, which is going to enable us to really share engagement signals between stories and spotlight, which we just haven’t done historically,” CEO Evan Spiegel said in Snap’s Q1 2024 earnings call. “So we think that will really help personalize the experience overall.”
Snapchat is also far from the first company to invest in a TikTok equivalent. Instagram launched Reels, its own vertical video feed, in 2020. The platform was immediately flooded with republished TikTok content. Facebook also has a Reels function, and YouTube has its own Shorts.
But Snapchat has been uniquely burned by social media rip-offs, dating back to 2016 when Instagram launched its own version of Stories. In its 2017 IPO filing, Snapchat listed this as an example of intensifying market competition: “Instagram, a subsidiary of Facebook, recently introduced a ‘stories’ feature that largely mimics our Stories feature and may be directly competitive.” In the months post-launch of Instagram Stories, Snapchat’s growth slowed 82%. It seems Snap has learned a lesson: Incorporate copycat user functions or lose market share.
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Vision Pro’s New Era
In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, what may seem unusual today often becomes the new standard tomorrow. This rings particularly true with the emergence of VisionPRO, poised to revolutionize the way we interact with digital content.
In 2007, then-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer famously dissed the iPhone. He laughed at the price tag and the fact that the phone didn’t have a keyboard and so had no appeal for business users. Microsoft CEO said that Apple was making a big mistake on the device it called the iPhone. “500 dollars? Fully subsidized? With a plan? I said that is the most expensive phone in the world. And it doesn’t appeal to business customers because it doesn’t have a keyboard. Which makes it not a very good email machine. We have our strategy. We are very happy with Windows Phone devices in the market today. You can get Motorola Q series device for $99.
Fast forward to the present day, where over 1.5 billion people worldwide use iPhones, showcasing Apple’s ability to set trends and driving global adaptation.
As we look to the future, it’s evident that spatial computing, augmented reality, and 3D content are on the brink of becoming commonplace. These technologies are primed to usher in a new era of digital experiences, gradually integrating into our daily lives.
However, the recent launch of VisionPRO has sparked mixed reviews. Some consumers express disappointment in its perceived lack of utility and entertainment, questioning its ability to replace existing devices in their daily routines. Yet, history teaches us that transformative products often undergo initial skepticism before reaching mass adoption.
In my view, this presents an exciting opportunity for innovators, brands, and developers alike to explore the vast potential of spatial computing. With time and continued innovation, I believe that someone will crack the code within the next 2-3 years, propelling VisionPRO and related technologies into the mainstream.
As we embark on this journey,
So, as we embark on this journey, let’s embrace the possibilities and anticipate the evolution of our digital landscape. Who knows how many groundbreaking apps will grace the App Store three years from now? It’s an exciting time to be at the forefront of innovation in spatial computing.