Take a look at your App Store icon, iPhone users, and if you’re an avid Instagram user, there’s a big surprise for you inside. Instagram just received a big upgrade, and it’s going to make your pictures on the social networking service look a lot better.
The standout new feature is called Lux, and it can be a godsend for pics that look too dark in some areas. It can enhance photos that already look good, too. It acts like a magic fill light that you can shine on your picture, bringing up the brightness in the shadowy areas so you can see things you couldn’t see before. Lux is like HDR that you can apply after the picture’s been taken.
This brings an entirely new dimension to Instagram, the explosively popular app that’s for iPhone only. The app has attracted a network of users consisting of 15 million photo aficionados and people who just want to have fun with their iPhone cameras.
In addition to Lux, Instagram has added another filter, called “Sierra,” giving you yet another choice of filters to add to Instagram’s already extensive collection. And, notifications have been improved, where now you’re taken directly to the photo, profile or comment that’s been referenced.
You’ll also notice an interface upgrade, where the home screen’s navigation icons no longer have labels. New users probably won’t like this feature, because at first it’s hard to tell what will happen when you tap the buttons. But I noticed it’s quite easy to get used to these new icons, and the resulting interface looks much cleaner:
Want to jump into the low-fidelity iPhone-only Instagram club? The price of admission is free. You might be surprised how many of your friends are already using it.
Give it a try and let us know in the comments what you think of the upgrades.
Instagram [iTunes link]
