Facebook on Thursday released a new iPhone for taking, editing and sharing photos on its website. Called “Facebook Camera,” the app allows users to apply filters to photos remiscent of the massively popular app Instagram, which Facebook paid a hefty $1 billion to acquire in early April.
The new Facebook app, though, was reportedly made without any help from Instagram. As a Facebook spokesperson told TechCrunch:
“As Mark [Zuckerberg] asserted, we’re committed to building and growing Instagram independently, so I anticipate some healthy competition,” between Facebook’s Camera app and its own recent acquistion.
Of course, it’s also worth noting that the Facebook Instagram purchase is supposedly the subject of an antitrust investigation by the FTC (neither Facebook nor the FTC have confirmed the investigation).
Facebook’s spokesperson also told TechCrunch that it was considering expanding the app to other platforms, which could mean Android, BlackBerry or Windows Phone, but Facebook has now official announcements or target dates at this time.
Still, perhaps the app will give users and the press something else at besides Facebook’s ongoing IPO PR crisis.
