
Instagram For Android Hits 1m Downloads in Under 24 Hours - acro
http://thenextweb.com/mobile/2012/04/04/instagram-for-android-hits-1m-downloads-in-under-24-hours/
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ryandvm
I'm still a little bemused that Instagram sat on a runaway Android blockbuster
for this long. It's like watching a race car driver fiddle with the stereo for
2 minutes after the green flag drops.

Did they think it was going to be a dud on Android? Were they not worried
about competitors? Is Android development that much more difficult than iOS?
I'd really love to know the internal justification for the delay.

I'm glad for them that it all worked out, but it seems like they really dodged
a bullet by making their Android user base wait it out. Especially since there
is considerable reason to believe that Android users will turn out to be their
biggest subset.

~~~
buster
Why all the fuss? Photo sharing/uploading and fancy camera effects, there are
dozens of apps already :o

I mean (from the frontpage): "Snap a picture, choose a filter to transform its
look and feel, then post to Instagram. Share to Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr
too – it's as easy as pie. It's photo sharing, reinvented."

All that's been easy enough on Android with the sharing/intent system for
years...

~~~
juliano_q
I am using it for a day and noticed that the biggest feature is not sharing
the picture on other networks, it is Instagram network itself. I am really
enjoying to follow my timeline and to browse the "top pictures" tab.

~~~
ndespres
It's funny that you enjoy the "top pictures" tab, as that's really one of my
least-favorite parts of the app! I appreciate the intimate photo sharing with
my immediate circle, but to see the stuff that floats to the top really makes
me question the network as a whole.

~~~
juliano_q
I think this tab is funny for occasional browsing. Maybe it is because I
really like the app and don´t follow that much people yet, so my timeline is a
little quiet :)

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sharpneli
This release has triggered an interesting reaction:

[http://www.buzzfeed.com/katienotopoulos/iphone-users-
disgust...](http://www.buzzfeed.com/katienotopoulos/iphone-users-disgusted-by-
android-instagram)

~~~
w1ntermute
The elito-hipster crowd is one of the key audiences for all Apple products
(not to mention those who aren't already elito-hipster tend to become one the
longer they use Apple products), so this isn't that surprising. This was just
a good situation for that elito-hipsterism to manifest itself in a public
arena.

~~~
Xuzz
They've sold over 250,000,000 iOS devices. Are you really saying there are (at
the low end of "key", let's go with 10%) 25 _million_ of them?

I think that might be a little exaggerated. Not saying they don't exist, but a
"key" part of the user base?

~~~
w1ntermute
I know it's just anecdotal, but out of the people that I know with iOS
devices, there are a significant number (closer to 50% than 10%) that adopt an
elitist attitude towards alternatives to Apple devices that is purely
emotional and has nothing to do with the concrete differences between the
devices.

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Malcx
I'm one of those 1m, but just to see what all the fuss was about. To be honest
I'm still a little bemused as to what unique problem it solves?

Maybe sharing of photos on iOS was a chore, but this is built in to Android by
design.

The filters are all rather "meh", not especially outstanding or creative.

It's really frustrating because normally if I don't use or even like a product
and I can still rationalize and see why others might. But I just feel like I'm
missing out on "getting it" with this.

~~~
omellet
I believe their success lies more in the social aspects of the app. Looking at
pictures from people you follow has less friction than on Twitter or Facebook.
Also, the domain-specific nature of the network has its own appeal.

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tferris
For the still confused who ask why Instagram is skyrocketing despite many
other well-made competing products: It's not relevant to build an outstanding
product, it's about building the largest user base if the product has
slightest potential for user-to-user-interaction.

Then you locked the market.

(But honestly: I am on Android and feel still a little clueless about
Instagram's success, too)

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brianbreslin
I feel like many of the comments here are focusing on "what does this solve
that hasn't been done before" type of comments. I think those are largely
missing the point of instagram. Instagram's value is in the network, and its
pairing with easy to use tools.

