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Apple is creating its own Snapchat, says Bloomberg

Apple is creating its own Snapchat, says Bloomberg

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Apple is reportedly building its own version of Snapchat. Bloomberg News reports that Apple is currently testing an app that lets iPhone users record video and apply filters or drawings to the content in a similar way to Snapchat. "The software is currently being designed to be used mostly with one hand," reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, and videos from the app can be shot, edited, and uploaded in less than a minute. An internal prototype of the design for the app includes an Instagram-like square shape for videos, and the ability to send the media to contacts or social networks.

Bloomberg reports that the team behind Final Cut Pro and iMovie are responsible for the new app, which is unnamed in the report. Apple is reportedly targeting a 2017 release for the new app, alongside a fresh focus on social networking features for the iPhone. Apple is said to be considering additional social integration inside iOS that will improve sharing to contacts system-wide. Existing integration includes recommendations for points of interest, contacts, and apps based on location, but Apple is reportedly expanding these features. Apple's additional social features might never launch though, warns Bloomberg. The scale of the features is said to be dependent on approval from a team inside Apple that oversees product privacy implications to ensure Apple doesn't expose too much user data.

It's not clear if Apple plans to highlight any additional social networking features at its next iPhone event in September. The iPhone maker is expected to announce an updated phone with a dual camera system and a pressure-sensitive home button. Apple has not yet announced a date for its next media event, but it's widely expected to unveil the new iPhone on September 7th.