Well it’s official, Instagram finally got around to making an app for Windows Phone. The app is currently in beta, but is available to the public. The long void of Instagram on WP had been well filled thanks to 3rd party client, 6Tag, so the question is, does the official app improve on the current offering?
Instagram Beta does a good job at loading a lot of content fast, probably faster than 6Tag, but they essentially do the same. That’s probably an appreciation for how powerful the Instagram API is, but like many, I was hoping for something better than 3rd party clients and that doesn’t seem to be the case. It’s a pretty comparable experience to Instagram on other platforms, but naturally with the WP8, metro UI. Doesn’t look like we have video upload support yet.
Instagram has more than 150 million users around the world, so it’s no surprise the demand was strong here. Instagram means so much to people that some simply won’t consider a Windows Phone until there’s an official app. While this may be a strange position it is the reality in a lot of cases and it’s crazy it took as long as it did for this to happen. If you’re an owner of the 41-megapixel Nokia Lumia 1020, you too can have your images compressed ot hell and forced into a 4:3 aspect ratio.
As with many other Windows Phone apps, Instagram for Windows Phone will have a Live Tile which updates with data on the Start screen as well as support for fast-resume.
Instagram app highlights include:
- The full set of Instagram filters including XPro-II, Earlybird, Rise, Amaro, Hudson, Lo-fi, Sutro, Toaster, Brannan, Inkwell, Walden, Hefe, Nashville, 1977, and more
- Linear and radial tilt-shift blur effects for extra depth of field
- Unlimited uploads
- Ability to like and comment on other people’s photos and videos
In addition, Microsoft is today announcing the launch of the traffic and navigation Waze app for Windows Phone 8. Waze makes it possible to join forces with other drivers and crowd source real-time road conditions, saving time and petrol money.
Microsoft have announced that around the Windows Phone Store is now doing 10 million transactions each day. It’s an impressive number until you compare it to Android or iOS, but still, the tide is turning on Windows Phone and the combination of big ticket apps like Vine and Instagram are important developments for the platform.
