Why Facebook Camera and Instagram can easily co-exist

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Editorial, Features, Internet, Software

Earlier today, Facebook launched its new photo-sharing app, Facebook Camera. Since then, we've seen tons of comments on Facebook and Twitter from people who are making fun of the company for releasing a new app that competes with Instagram, the photo sharing app and company that Facebook just acquired for $1 billion. Really? I thought it was time that we took a closer look at why Facebook Camera makes perfect sense, and how it really doesn't compete against Instagram at all.

This column is directed towards the techies out there who can't seem to get in the mind of the average smartphones user. What you have to realize is that Facebook Camera has three, and only three, purposes:

1. Facebook Camera lets you easily share one or many photos on Facebook
2. Facebook Camera lets you easily view a feed of the photos of your Facebook friends
3. Facebook Camera allows you to tag, like, and comment on your and your friends' Facebook photos

Done. End of story. It's a simple app, but it does the job that it's supposed to do, and does it while looking great. Now, let's look at what Instagram does:

1. Instagram allows you to easily share photos--one at a time--with your Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, and Flickr friends. You can also share on Tumblr and Posterous, as well as through email
2. Instagram allows you to easily view the people you follow on Instagram, as well as public tagged photos of Instagram users
3. Instagram allows you to leave feedback on Instagram photos

See the difference? In its current incarnation, the only thing Instagram does that affects Facebook is optionally allows you to share one image at a time on your Facebook Timeline. That's it. Facebook Camera allows you to share one photo, or a full gallery if you want, with all your Facebook friends, while also allowing you to easily view the images that your friends are posting. You can also comment and tag photos using the app. These are things that are just out of the realm of what Instagram is there to do. Are there similarities? Sure. Both apps allow you to snap photos and share them, and both have filters...but that's kind of it.

Am I off base? Let me know in the comments!