Instagram the $1 Billion App: From iPhone to Android to Facebook
There used to be a time when 30 million iPhone and iPad users had sole access to the full features of Instagram, popular photo-sharing app for mobile devices.
Just last week, the developers of Instagram made the available for Android devices. More than one million downloads were made to Android devices on the first day. There is an estimated more than 200 million Android devices in the market today as Google activates more than 800,000 new devices daily.
Instagram, which sits in Apple's App Store App Hall of Fame and named "the App of the Year" for 2011, will now be integrated to Facebook and its 850 million users.
"For years, we've focused on building the best experience for sharing photos with your friends and family. Now, we'll be able to work even more closely with the Instagram team to also offer the best experiences for sharing beautiful mobile photos with people based on your interests," says CEO Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook.
At a time when some long-time Instagram users have hit the developers' decision to bring the app to a different platform, Instagram will now be owned by the world's number one social network.
Some long-standing users have blamed the Android users for the sudden influx of bad pictures. The app is too hip for Android, they say. And now Instagram is now available mainstream, via Facebook.
Facebook though has assured that it will try to keep Instagram's identity.
"[W]e need to be mindful about keeping and building on Instagram's strengths and features rather than just trying to integrate everything into Facebook," Zuckerberg said in a statement.
The Facebook founder said the goal is to help spread this app and brand to even more people.
"We think the fact that Instagram is connected to other services beyond Facebook is an important part of the experience. We plan on keeping features like the ability to post to other social networks, the ability to not share your Instagrams on Facebook if you want, and the ability to have followers and follow people separately from your friends on Facebook."
Founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger and other owners are in for a huge payday. The total consideration for San Francisco-based Instagram is approximately $1 billion in a combination of cash and shares of Facebook. The transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions, is expected to close later this quarter.