Snap CEO Evan Spiegel dismisses Meta's metaverse ambitions as “ambiguous and hypothetical” and says the word “metaverse” is never uttered in Snap's offices

The Guardian 2022-04-29 Alex Hern

Context & Ripple Effects

Meta had recently rebranded around Mark Zuckerberg's metaverse vision, making Spiegel's refusal to use the term a pointed strategic contrast rather than a semantic dispute. Later coverage shows Snap narrowing its adjacent bets: it deprioritized Web3 to keep investing in AR.

Snap's subsequent product direction gives the distinction more weight: Spiegel's revival effort included a divisive AR-headset bet, and Snap later discussed fifth-generation smart glasses competing with Apple and Meta.

First-order effects

Snap publicly differentiates its AR work from Meta's metaverse framing, giving Spiegel a clearer position against a rival whose corporate identity had become tied to that vision.
Meta faces a prominent competitor rejecting the premise and language of its flagship strategy, adding to the skepticism later directed at Zuckerberg's metaverse presentation.

Second-order effects

Snap's resource choices favor AR over Web3, concentrating its product narrative and investment case on experiences that contribute directly to its AR effort.
The competitive comparison shifts toward hardware and operating systems as Snap's smart glasses enter a field that includes Meta and Apple, rather than toward ownership of the “metaverse” label.

Third-order effects

Consumer AR may develop through competing devices and software platforms without a shared metaverse brand; Snap's trajectory suggests product utility can matter more than agreement on the category name.
As rivals pursue glasses and AR platforms, corporate strategy is likely to be judged more by sustained hardware execution than by broad virtual-world positioning.

The trend: The AR market is separating from the metaverse narrative, with companies differentiating through hardware, software, and tighter investment priorities.

Discussion

@amaldorai Amal Dorai on x
The @Snap developer summit is an astounding and comprehensive vision for what augmented reality can be. Snap has its own vision for a “metaverse,” but it's a texture that's stitched into the fabric of our physical world. Amazing stuff.
@mgsiegler M.G. Siegler on x
Snap's presentations keep getting better. Sort of the younger, hipper version of Apple events. In some ways it feels like they're passing them, honestly. They feel more natural. Far beyond what Facebook does, of course.
@ernestc_smitten @ernestc_smitten on x
@Mr_Derivatives Meanwhile, $SNAP is already on their fourth iteration of Spectacles and increasing sales 17x with AR try-ons of cosmetics and clothing. $FB should just cede the metaverse to $SNAP.
@mr_derivatives @mr_derivatives on x
$FB I'm starting to think Facebook should just scrap the Metaverse.... Iono. Hasn't made real strides yet. The real world has so many issues already, fix that before entering a virtual world. My 2c.
@tfadell Tony Fadell on x
🙌🙌💪💪 @evanspiegel The word “metaverse” is never uttered in Snap's offices. “...because it's pretty ambiguous & hypothetical. Ask a room of people & everyone's definition is totally different.” Snapchat's Evan Spiegel dismisses Facebook's metaverse https://www.theguardian.com/ ...
@mcwm Mike Murphy on x
sounds like he's met averse https://twitter.com/...
@jerrycap @jerrycap on x
Opposite of a 🚩 https://twitter.com/...
@liahaberman Lia Haberman on x
Who had Evan Spiegel becoming respected elder statesmen of the tech platform billionaires on their 2014 bingo card? Time to cash in https://www.theguardian.com/ ...
@mattnavarra Matt Navarra on x
[Evan Spiegel: “We've never called ourselves a social media platform. We are a camera company for communicating with your close friends and family"] Social media platforms hate being called social media platforms - Pinterest says its a visual search engine - TikTok calls itself a…
@daveleeft Dave Lee on x
In today's #techft, @evanspiegel tells @CristinaCriddle his (carefully considered) thoughts on the Musk “free speech” takeover. https://www.ft.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@caseynewton Casey Newton on x
Snap just announced it made a pocket-sized drone called Pixy and it's .... extremely cute https://twitter.com/...
@mattnavarra Matt Navarra on x
Snapchat's Evan Spiegel dismisses Facebook's metaverse as ‘hypothetical’ He says the word “metaverse” is never uttered in Snap's offices. https://www.theguardian.com/ ...
@cszechy Colin on x
The Snap Pixy drone seems playful, fun, interesting, and novel. It's not clear its that useful or even that great, and has a lot of limitations. But... the hardware market should have a lot more experimental things like it. https://www.theverge.com/...
@sabourmaryam Maryam Sabour on x
Not surprising Snap launched a drone given they acquired Ctrl Me Robotics back in 2017 (https://www.theverge.com/...) but interesting to hear Evan believes the market for 3rd person POV (aka drone) could be even bigger than 1st person (glasses). What do you think? https://twitter…
@libshipwreck @libshipwreck on x
Confession: I'm really looking forward to all of the videos of birds of prey attacking and destroying these things. https://twitter.com/...
@hypervisible @hypervisible on x
“I think Pixy opens up a whole new space here because your smartphone can't fly...” 🫠 https://www.theverge.com/...
@vadimyuryev Vadim Yuryev on x
This product will fail within months. Mark my words! Quality is absolutely terrible. No stabilization. It makes ZERO sense to use this instead of a smartphone selfie. Flight time of 3 minutes per battery. So lightweight that wind is a big problem. $230 plus $20 per extra battery …
@droneanalyst @droneanalyst on x
Some rare consumer drone news - @Snapchat is launching the Pixy at just $229. The similarly featured Spark wasn't a huge hit but was priced at $499 so this could capture a new audience. https://www.youtube.com/...
@harrymccracken Harry McCracken on x
Snap really is a camera company—in this case, a flying camera company. https://t.co/32s6rU4HKl
@itsalexclark Alex Clark on x
Anyone want this but have no need for it? (Raises hand) https://www.theverge.com/...
@reckless Nilay Patel on x
Is this the greatest sequence in Verge video history y/n https://twitter.com/...
@vjeranpavic @vjeranpavic on x
👀 Snap is making a drone. Not the type I'd use for my work, but this is a very accessible drone for a lot of folks! We have three hosts in this video, watch it for some super fun edits from @OwenUnderscoreG ! https://twitter.com/...
@dcseifert Dan S. on x
i still don't take Snap's claims that it's “a camera company” seriously (no camera company would be proud of this image quality) but if you want a toy, you could probably do worse than spending $230 on this Pixy drone https://www.theverge.com/...
@pierce David Pierce on x
Also, Snap's Pixy drone is ... very cool. And I agree with @alexeheath that there's something bigger going on here than just “fun yellow drone” https://www.theverge.com/...
@bigblackjacobin Edward Ongweso Jr on x
you know the rules. if i see it, i break it https://twitter.com/...
@casey Casey Neistat on x
this is cool. @Snapchat seems to make fun stuff because they like fun stuff. i like that https://twitter.com/...
@pt @pt on x
Neat product. Not sure I'm gonna buy one given how little I used their last neat product, but I bet the kids dig it. https://twitter.com/...
@qwongsj Queenie Wong on x
Annoyed about the Snap drone announcement for a couple of reasons. Emailed Snap in March about this and they told me it was “just speculation.” Then I went to the FCC and there weren't any public docs available. Got the news under embargo. Evan announces Pixy 10 mins ahead. https…
@brianroemmele Brian Roemmele on x
Snap Pixy is a precursor to the Apple Drone that will define the later 2020s. Pixy is a spectacular move forward in capturing moments. However a social contract is needed—both companies have been blind to it. Here is Pixy (via @Scobleizer), on sale: https://pixy.com/shop https://…
@alexeheath Alex Heath on x
Video hands-on impression here, with special appearance by @vjeranpavic https://www.youtube.com/...
@awallenstein Andrew Wallenstein on x
If this works as advertised, $SNAP has a game changer on its hands... https://twitter.com/...
@joannastern Joanna Stern on x
Snap made an adorable little flying camera called the Pixy. (It doesn't want to call it a drone BUT it's a drone!) Snap sent me the drone. I tested the drone. I made a video and wrote a column about the drone! https://www.wsj.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@alexhern @alexhern on x
Snapchat's trying to link all our AR cameras together into one glorious shared fever dream - but don't call it a “metaverse” https://t.co/HBaPNXbTih
@alexeheath Alex Heath on x
Snap just announced its long rumored selfie drone. It's called Pixy. I used it and spoke with CEO @evanspiegel about the company's hardware strategy: https://t.co/7ePpWWUimA
@mgsiegler M.G. Siegler on x
Amazing. Perfect product for them. So well explained and showcased. A few drone companies (and startups) have tried this, but Snap's looks cute and simple, not tech-like. Insta-buy.
@sarahintampa Sarah Perez on x
Please do not bring your Snapchat drone toy to national parks OK https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@jetscott Scott Stein on x
Snap's got a selfie drone, Pixy. $250, but 11-12 week wait for shipping. https://pixy.com/
@scobleizer Robert Scoble on x
The new Pixy Snap drone is $249 with two batteries. Looks very interesting. Lands in your hand automatically. You getting one? https://pixy.com/shop
@kylebrussell Kyle Russell on x
Five years after buying Ctrl Me Robotics https://www.theverge.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@martinsfp Martin Sfp Bryant on x
Snap: a flying camera company https://techcrunch.com/...
@trevorcroker Trevor Croker on x
Reminds me of the 1st gen Snap Spectacles. Looks to be a low-cost option for casual users. https://twitter.com/...
@jaypeters Jay Peters on x
Snap is working on a drone, and photos from nearly every angle have been published by the FCC. https://www.theverge.com/...
@mcproulx Mike Proulx on x
Snap is apparently releasing a done described as, “a small smart drone with a camera and camera function.” https://www.theverge.com/...
@parkerortolani Parker Ortolani on x
Alright this is actually pretty cool and frankly cute. Love the name. https://www.theverge.com/...
@mcwm Mike Murphy on x
omg it's actually real https://twitter.com/...
@jeremyburge Jeremy Burge on x
Joanna always has the best video reviews of new gear like this, covering the exact stuff we all want to know https://twitter.com/...
@heatherkelly Heather Kelly on x
Do I want to nibble on the Pixy? Yes. But also, “the toylike design attempts to make a flying camera look so friendly, people might overlook any privacy implications.” https://t.co/wzPiQQlFxm
@petersterne Peter Sterne on x
As fun as this looks, I don't understand how this would work in the city? https://twitter.com/...
@teroterotero Tero Kuittinen on x
Lying bleeding in a ravine after slipping on the hiking trail, with a soft buzz of a Snap drone hovering over me as I remain relevant content in the last minutes of my life https://twitter.com/...
@robaeprice Rob Price on x
3 minute battery life, woof https://t.co/PNtgYB3mgv
@counternotions @counternotions on x
THEN: Palm Pixi NOW: Snap Pixy https://twitter.com/...
@joannastern Joanna Stern on x
Also, I spoke with Evan Spiegel about the Pixy and how it was “basically is an experiment that ended up way better than we expected.” https://www.wsj.com/...
@richlightshed Rich Greenfield on x
Snapchat's leadership in #AR (launching lens cloud studio) is so much more interesting than @meta's #metaverse push $SNAP @Snap #SnapPartnerSummit https://twitter.com/...
@richlightshed @richlightshed on x
1 billion @Bitmoji avatars have been created to-date that is billion with a B #SnapPartnerSummit $SNAP @snap https://twitter.com/...
@anshelsag Anshel Sag on x
.@Snap just announced Lens Cloud, a suite of its services for developers of lenses with expanded features, enhanced storage services, and multi-user services #SnapPartnerSummit https://twitter.com/...
@snapar @snapar on x
Today, we're launching Lens Cloud, a collection of backend services to vastly expand what developers can build with augmented reality. By solving creator pain points, Lens Cloud makes it possible to create lasting, impactful experiences for your audience #SnapPartnerSummit https:…
@scobleizer Robert Scoble on x
Agreed. Snap is in the lead today and even if some other company (like Apple) wins, today this is where you should be doing your R&D for future glasses. For now. Right? Disagree? Make your case. https://twitter.com/...

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