Instagram for Android

Instagram for Android.

Hipsatmatic and Instagram have been available for iPhone since November, 2010 and both were an an instant smash. It was only a matter of time before Android mobile phone owners were able to get a similar retro app for their phones, and that time was a couple of days ago, April 3, when Google released Instagram for Froyo-powered phones.

Although the Android version of Instagram provides over a dozen effects, from soft focus to intense saturation, plus social media sharing (Twitter, Foursquare, Facebook and Instagram) it is still short some options offered on iPhones, such as a pay-to-download extra effects. Frames are optional, but are not switchable between effects. Uploading to my Facebook photo wall was very fast - faster than the Samsung's default image uploader; under 5 seconds using WiFi. Impressive.

The download of the app is painless and simple. Go to the Instagram website, click through to the download page, click the button and a few seconds later a message will pop up on your phone that the app has downloaded and is installing. That's it.

For today's test run, I went over to the downtown Toy District, where there are lots of photo opportunities for desaturating otherwise very colorful objects, like the Angry Birds piñata seen in the photo above. Of course, half the fun of the app is not really knowing what the final image will actually look like once it's been run through one of the available filters, and I must admit I was pleasantly surprised when I saw what Instagram had done with the snap I took of a Grand Central Market food counter, below.

And these young girls shopping in the Toy District:

Click on any of the images to open it full-size in a full-screen window.

 Instagram on Samsung Exhibit II 4G (T-Mobile)