Instagram arrives on world’s most popular mobile OS

If you know an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch owner, there's a fair good chance you also know an Instagram user. The photo sharing app--known for its lo-fi filter effects and the square aspect ratio of its images--has proven incredibly popular on Apple's iOS platform. Apple has sold a total of some 298 million units between the three devices worldwide, and Instagram now boasts an impressive 30 million users. That's better than one Instagram user for every device sold, and that's not even accounting for the fact that many users will own multiple iOS devices!

Today, though, a new launch from Instagram Inc. could take it to a whole new level. As popular as Apple's mobile devices are, they're a distant second place to Google's Android operating system in terms of current sales. Worldwide, Apple's iOS had approximately 19% of the global market in 2011, as compared to almost 50% global market share for Android. Even in the US market, Apple lags by some distance, with various surveys suggesting a 30% market share for iOS last year, versus around 50% for Android.

Instagram is now available for Android, 18 months after the initial iOS release. Screenshots provided by Instagram Inc.

The debut of Instagram for Android, then, is potentially huge news for the company. There's been keen interest in the app since it's development was recently revealed, and according to Instagram, some 430,000 people signed up to be notified once the application was available. Not all of them will yet be able to use Instagram, as the app won't yet work with Android tablets, and it's only compatible with devices running Android 2.2 (Froyo) or later, with support for OpenGL ES2. For the many whose phones are compatible, though, the long wait is finally over.

Instagram for Android is very similar to its iOS sibling, although the interface has been refined somewhat for greater consistency throughout the app, sometimes at the expense of some screen real-estate. (For example, the use of tabs in news, profile, and tag search pages is less cluttered than the iOS method, but leaves less room for photos.) By and large, though, the interface is very similar to that on iOS. That will help users transitioning from iOS devices, but does mean that the app doesn't follow Google's OS styling very closely.

There are minor differences in layout in the Android version, such as the tabbed interface in News. Screenshots provided by Instagram Inc.

Like its IOS sibling, Instagram for Android is limited to square images at up to a maximum resolution of 2,048 x 2,048 pixels, dependent on the smartphone's camera and available memory. There are no new features in the Android release as compared to Instagram for iOS, due to the company's desire to create a consistent experience between iOS and Android devices. There are, however, a few features that haven't yet made it into the Android release. These include Tilt Shift / Blur, Share from Feed, Live Preview, and Share to Flickr, all of which will be added in future Android releases.

Overall, Instagram for Android has a more coherent interface than the iOS version. Screenshots provided by Instagram Inc.

As on iOS, Instagram is a free download for Android users through the Google Play market. It isn't yet monetized, but in the past, Instagram has suggested that it intends to keep the core app free, but will at some point experiment with charging for some non-core features.

More details on the Instagram website!

Two more screenshots of Instagram for Android. Screenshots provided by Instagram Inc.