Google has just opened up its Photovine iPhone app to the masses but the photo-sharing app has a surprising lack of Google in it. That’s both good and bad.
The Photovine iPhone app was made by the Slide team, which has been acquired by Google and operates somewhat independently. The app had been live before but was in a closed beta but now anyone can sign up. It’s built around sharing photos through “vines,” or district story lines. You can bring in your friends from Facebook and Twitter but not from Gmail.
The Photovine iPhone app is pretty darn slick to look at and it’s instantly the most beautiful iPhone app that Google (or a Google property) has ever created. You have to wonder why there isn’t an Android app out there yet, as the user base and app appetite is definitely growing.
Photovine creates its own social graph around these photo vines, so it’s kind of like Instagram but with a stronger, social collaboration element. You do have to wonder if Google has too many cooks in the kitchen though, as this also kind of competes with Slide’s Pool Party photo sharing app and somewhat with the photo sharing and instant uploading on the Google+ apps.
The Photovine iPhone app is free and can be downloaded here (iTunes link).
[Via TechCrunch]