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BEACON TRANSCRIPT – Soon after purchasing Looksery, Snapchat got even more fun and interesting as it launched selfie lenses. That reference received a collective smile from the Snapchat-using readers who fondly recalled the crazy pictures they took using the lenses.
But seeing that the current seven lenses are only temporary – changing from one day to another – Snapchat has decided to create a win-win situation by offering 30 more lenses that users can purchase for 99 cents and keep forever and ever.
On one end of the deal, Snapchat has found a new way to gain revenue from its platform with in-app purchases; on the other, there are satisfied users willing to pay the incredibly small price in order to stop being at the mercy of Snapchat’s daily rotation of lenses.
For those confused by the concept of selfie lenses, this is how you activate and use them. Using the front-facing camera, you just have to long press on your own reflection to turn on the feature. Next up is choosing from the line-up of selfie lenses that appear at the bottom in order to preview them.
When you’ve decided which suits you better – the rainbow vomit or the scary zombie faces – just shoot a snap. But fear not – the free lenses aren’t going anywhere, and you’re still getting a new one every day. The new feature is designed for those who want to experience a bunch more than just the seven current lenses.
What’s even more exciting is that previewing the bonus lenses is free, you just have to pay 99 cents if you’re planning on using them in a snap. Even though it’s unclear how often Snapchat will update the lenses offering, we know that 30 paid lenses will be available every day.
This move is second to another in-app purchase that Snapchat has recently released: buying 3 extra replays for $0.99. Replaying any snap just once is still free, but anything more than that comes at a price.
Furthermore, Snapchat is also looking into way of combining advertising with sponsored lenses, which is a risky direction for the company. In spite of the many tech startups that choose to keep their products totally free, Snapchat is trying out new ways of gaining revenue.
One more update – Snapchat is on fire! – concerns the rolling out of official accounts. The company is working on linking official names with official accounts, even if they’re not using a common denominator. For example, searching for “justinbieber” will return “rickthesizzler,” which is Justin Bieber’s official account.
Image Source: Tayler Lawrence
