We reported yesterday on a rumor according to which Nokia might get Instagram as an exclusive app for their Lumia line. If this rumor turns out to be true then in most likelihood it would be a timed exclusive with Instagram making its way to other Windows Phones after a while.
Shortly after this rumor spread around the web, Nokia started throwing hints left and right that they are indeed trying to get Instagram, but by the way things are looking they"re not quite there yet. First of all Nokia released a very weird interesting app: #2Instawithlove. This little app allows users to take a photo with a "classic polaroid filter", then the app automatically adds the hashtag #2instawithlove and users can share the photo on their favorite social network.
According to Nokia the app is designed to show the level of enthusiasm for Instagram within the Windows Phone community. The official statement reads:
Many of you have asked when Instagram will be coming to Windows Phone, and the #2InstaWithLove app was created as a way for you to have your voice heard…It"s all about showing Instagram just how passionate the Windows Phone community is.
Not too long after that, Nokia did it again: they re-released a Instagram clone called SophieLens under their own moniker. The app allows user to take photos and apply different filters just like the other more popular and Facebook-owned service. Nokia even did its users a favor by slashing the price of SophieLens from $1.29 to Free.
It"s not very clear what Nokia"s strategy is: on the one hand we can guess they"re trying to convince Instagram to release an official app by showing how active the Windows Phone community is, and then they release an Instagram clone for free in an effort to either appease the users, or maybe they"re just using SophieLens as a trial run to try and prove to Instagram there really is demand for such an app.
In either case it"s quite refreshing and encouraging to see so much effort being put into bringing the community something they very much want, and if Nokia pulls it off they score big points with Windows Phone users.
Via: WpCentral