It looks like a lot of people are gunning to replicate Instagram’s success. Such is the case with the recently launched Photoplay service (Photoplay.net), which has a website and apps on all three major platforms including iOS, Android and Windows Phone 8 (Windows Phone 7.x is coming later too). The app and service of course is free and like Instagram, it combines aspects of mobile photography, filters and sharing onto social networks, including its own. We’ll do a full review of the app in the coming days but we figured we’d share our initial thoughts on the app and service, in case you were interested.

A bold move



Windows Phone 8: Represent

To be honest, we sort of rolled our eyes at the company’s press release. If you’re not Instagram, simply taking on the king seems like the best new way to get attention these days. Because of that, we were skeptical whether or not the app and photo service would be even worth mentioning, never mind being an actual competitor to Instagram. Best VPN providers 2020: Learn about ExpressVPN, NordVPN & more But after using for a little while, we have to admit, it’s a solid app. Sure, the big question remains if Photoplay garners enough users to make it worthwhile to regular people, even to the extent of its name being known alongside Instagram’s. There’s quite a bit of doubt, if you ask us, but if there were one app to challenge the hipster-photo dominance of Instgram, Photoplay may be it. From their description: “Photoplay is a community of people, who enjoy doing beautiful pictures every day and sharing them with friends. Contrary to Instagram, Photoplay focuses on breaking the limits. Three different picture formats: square, horizontal and vertical, suits any picture. Customizable effects, such as vignetting, give more power to user. Flexible privacy settings allow selecting right audience for each photo. Discover photos on map feature, three different location-based tops, as well as extended search, make finding interesting content easy as never before.” The App