It might have lost out to Instagram on the iPhone, but Flickr has not given up the mobile photo sharing battle, as can be seen from its Android app.
Photo sharing by mobile devices has been given a new dimension by apps like Instagram which allow users to add all sorts of effects to pictures and then put them online on their social networks. Ironically, one of the first services that made photo sharing popular on computers, Flickr has not been able to make much of an impact on mobile devices. Its mobile apps so far have mainly been upload and share affairs with the option to browse through your pics and those uploaded by your friends.
Well, Flickr on Android is a VERY different kettle of photographic fish. Yes, you can check what’s been happening on the image front from all of your friends in an activity stream that is a bit like Facebook. You can also now flick through the pictures clicked by your friends. Yes, you can upload your own pics. Yes, you can view comments and make them too. And the touch interface of most phones is going to let you swipe between pics easily.
But what really stands out in the app is the fact that Flickr has taken a page out of the Instagram book, and given users the options to add effects to their pictures before uploading them. You can add the effects only after you have taken the picture (yes, you can take a picture from the app itself) and the effects are not really as profuse as those on Instagram – there are only ten of them, each of which has been named after a city, following some strange rationale (why is NYC black and white for instance).
No, it is not quite as impressive as Instagram on the iOS, but then there is no Instagram on Android, and this is where Flickr seems to be looking to cash in. Also, you can capture images in much higher resolution than on Instagram, which is pretty cool, we think. You can also tag the image, fiddle with who can see it, and here comes the next big change, actually post it directly to other social networks (Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr are supported right now) and can send it by e-mail as well.
It does not always work at the rate of knots while adding effects and it has crashed our HTC Desire HD a couple of times, when we were trying to access our phone’s image gallery, but for most of the time, we found Flickr on Android easy and handy to use. The filters are not many but that is actually a bit of a blessing in disguise as it lets one keep things simple. We would have liked a few editing tools, though – right now, you cannot do anything with the picture apart from add effects to it. Still, all said and done, Flickr on Android is a step in the right direction by a big brand.
It is not going to make us give up Little Photo for adding effects on our Android phone- it is simply easier to use and the effects are better – but we are going to be considering using it more often than not, simply because of its very decent social network connectivity. Worth a download, especially as it is likely to get much better. At 3.6 MB, it is not too hefty a download either. Still, we are waiting for you on Android, Instagram.
Get it from: Android Market
Price: Free
