Facebook launches Instagram-style camera app for iPhone
Hot on the heels of its acquisition of Instagram for $1 billion, Facebook has released its own Instagram-style picture taking application for the iPhone.
The new standalone application is available for free (iTunes link) on the App Store, separate from the existing Facebook and Facebook Messenger applications. With the new software, called "Facebook Camera," users can swipe through a feed of pictures from their Facebook friends, and tap to enlarge an individual photo.
The new software also allows users to share multiple photos quickly, all at once, rather than needing to post one at a time. Users can just select the shots they want to share by tapping the check-mark on each photo, then hitting post.
Facebook Camera also features a built-in photo editor that allows users to crop, rotate and add filters to any picture in the iOS Camera Roll. The photo filters are somewhat similar to options in Instagram, the photo taking application and sharing service that Facebook acquired in April for $1 billion.
While the application appears to compete with Instagram, the new Facebook Camera lacks some defining features of Instagram, such as hashtag sharing for specific topics, and mobile-only social circles. According to The Verge, the Facebook Camera team has been working on the application for months, and likely did not know about the company's plans to purchase Instagram ahead of time.
Facebook Camera is a 4.9-megabyte download available in English. It is compatible with the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, fourth-generation iPod touch, iPad 2, and third-generation iPad, and it requires iOS 4.0 or later.
The new standalone application is available for free (iTunes link) on the App Store, separate from the existing Facebook and Facebook Messenger applications. With the new software, called "Facebook Camera," users can swipe through a feed of pictures from their Facebook friends, and tap to enlarge an individual photo.
The new software also allows users to share multiple photos quickly, all at once, rather than needing to post one at a time. Users can just select the shots they want to share by tapping the check-mark on each photo, then hitting post.
Facebook Camera also features a built-in photo editor that allows users to crop, rotate and add filters to any picture in the iOS Camera Roll. The photo filters are somewhat similar to options in Instagram, the photo taking application and sharing service that Facebook acquired in April for $1 billion.
While the application appears to compete with Instagram, the new Facebook Camera lacks some defining features of Instagram, such as hashtag sharing for specific topics, and mobile-only social circles. According to The Verge, the Facebook Camera team has been working on the application for months, and likely did not know about the company's plans to purchase Instagram ahead of time.
Facebook Camera is a 4.9-megabyte download available in English. It is compatible with the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, fourth-generation iPod touch, iPad 2, and third-generation iPad, and it requires iOS 4.0 or later.
Comments
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider
According to The Verge, the Facebook Camera team has been working on the application for months, and likely did not know about the company's plans to purchase Instagram ahead of time.
Whoops. Way to get value from that $1,000,000,000, Zuckerberg (wherever you are).
Personally, I'm so tired of Instagram posts on FB that I'm about to block pictures. I don't need another "artsy" over-exposed shot of someone's keyboard or close-up of a dog toy. You're not Ansel Adams, so just stop it already.
IMHO (emphasis on H and O), I think the whole Instagram thing will die in months if not several weeks, and Zuckerberg's going to be smeared in the press for wasting a billion dollars.
Again I can't help but wonder who the heck at FB thought Instagram was worth more than about $250 mil. Of course Zynga paid $180 mil for OMGPOP which might be even sillier. Does anyone even play Draw Something any longer?
And in other news, Zuckerberg is no longer a virgin.
I agree that FB vastly over paid for Instagram. This app instantly is connected to all your FB friends and has a built in network of 900 million users. As much as I like instagram, the app, thier talent and user base are not worth a penny more than what FB spent building this app.
Quote:
Originally Posted by WelshDog
Again I can't help but wonder who the heck at FB thought Instagram was worth more than about $250 mil. Of course Zynga paid $180 mil for OMGPOP which might be even sillier. Does anyone even play Draw Something any longer?
I can't help but wonder why the investment banks advising Facebook thought a valuation of >$100bn was sensible either.
"Web 2.0" is doing a fine job of creating "Tech Bubble 2.0".
Still, since the markets seem to have jumped back about 15 years, maybe we'll get to party like it's 1999 again.
Facebook's acquisition of Instagram could have been a defensive move.
Imagine if Google bought Instragram and leveraged it with Google+.
Quote:
Originally Posted by WelshDog
Again I can't help but wonder who the heck at FB thought Instagram was worth more than about $250 mil. Of course Zynga paid $180 mil for OMGPOP which might be even sillier. Does anyone even play Draw Something any longer?
The purchase had nothing to do with the technology behind Instagram, rather the purchase was to buy Instagram's user base as well as box out any future competition.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kestral
Facebook's acquisition of Instagram could have been a defensive move.
Imagine if Google bought Instragram and leveraged it with Google+.
Yeah, Google+'s 2 or 3 users would have been delighted!
Instagram goes from cool (iOS), to uncool (Android), to Very uncool (Facebook), and now... it's dead.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kestral
Facebook's acquisition of Instagram could have been a defensive move.
Imagine if Google bought Instragram and leveraged it with Google+.
That, and buying Instagram lets them put this app out w/o fear of suit. In fact, the app's probably been waiting in the wings for the acquisition.
Not saying AT ALL that it was a good use of 1B, just saying that with the release of this app, you have to look at other reasons for the purchase beyond the app itself as added features for Facebook itself.
Apparently there was an issue in California with pre-nups, I can't remember exactly what but it involved Zuck protecting all his stock.
Yes, I can imagine it: it would likely have died a quick death.
It's basically that all of his shares (and any resulting wealth) from before the nuptials belong solely to him.
The timing of his wedding wasn't an accident. He's no fool.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Patranus
The purchase had nothing to do with the technology behind Instagram, rather the purchase was to buy Instagram's user base as well as box out any future competition.
Except, everyone else is free to develop an app just like it, only better... checkmate.
There's an app by NAVER called PICK, exact clone of instagram and it's huge in Asia... FB...maybe you need to buy this as it has way more users than Instagram over this side of the pond
I would bet against that...and have better odds of making money than investing in Facebook...
Quote:
Originally Posted by PaulMJohnson
Yeah, Google+'s 2 or 3 users would have been delighted!
Not true. It has nothing to do with Android ROMs.