Slingshot-Much More than a Snapchat Clone
By Vishal Pandey / June 20, 2014
The news that Facebook is working on app like snapchat was well known from the
past 6 months, with rumors flying thick and fast. And Facebook has finally proved
those entire rumors true by launching its new app slingshot. Along with that, they
officially announced it on their Facebook page and also released a new promo
video announcing availability of Slingshot for both Android and iOS. We tested
the app thoroughly to find if it is just one of the many snapchat clones out there
or much more than that, Read on to find.
past 6 months, with rumors flying thick and fast. And Facebook has finally proved
those entire rumors true by launching its new app slingshot. Along with that, they
officially announced it on their Facebook page and also released a new promo
video announcing availability of Slingshot for both Android and iOS. We tested
the app thoroughly to find if it is just one of the many snapchat clones out there
or much more than that, Read on to find.
At first the app feels exactly like snapchat with slightly more polished interface
but that is only until you receive your first msg when you realize that this is a
completely different ball game. In Snapchat or any other messaging app, you
can view a message as soon as you receive it. But in Slingshot, you can’t view an
incoming "shot" until you send a shot back to the sender. The app designer Joey
Flynn says about the app that "It’s not just about telling your story; it’s about
asking others for their story,”.
but that is only until you receive your first msg when you realize that this is a
completely different ball game. In Snapchat or any other messaging app, you
can view a message as soon as you receive it. But in Slingshot, you can’t view an
incoming "shot" until you send a shot back to the sender. The app designer Joey
Flynn says about the app that "It’s not just about telling your story; it’s about
asking others for their story,”.
Slingshot thrives on curiosity. Not being able to see incoming photos and videos
until you send one back makes you eager to share. The mystery about what’s
behind those pixilated images is what makes the user being hooked onto the app.
Talking about the UI of the app it’s pretty much like snapchat lets you take a quick
photo or video, mark it up with some colorful drawings, caption it with big white
text, and then send it off to a bunch of friends(snapchat however allows to send
to only one friend at a time.). Slingshot does let you send a shot to just one
person, but the app doesn’t really encourage it. Slingshot’s killer feature is its
Select All button. Every time you send a shot to a bunch of friends, the app
immediately pops up all the shots you’ve just unlocked from those friends. . The
app let you react to shots you’ve unlocked by tapping on them. The ability to
quickly react to a post with a selfie or text comment is one of the app’s best
features, and fortunately, friends’ reactions to your shots are always unlocked
and ready to view. Slingshot allows you to search for people you know and there
isn’t one central contacts menu where you can easily view all your
connections. And, unlike Snapchat, there is no approval process for adding
connections. Anyone can send messages to anyone whose information they might
have. You would be able to search your friends through their username or
connect with your fb account. The app boasts of ultra-slick animations and
images that de-pixelize stylishly as they open.
until you send one back makes you eager to share. The mystery about what’s
behind those pixilated images is what makes the user being hooked onto the app.
Talking about the UI of the app it’s pretty much like snapchat lets you take a quick
photo or video, mark it up with some colorful drawings, caption it with big white
text, and then send it off to a bunch of friends(snapchat however allows to send
to only one friend at a time.). Slingshot does let you send a shot to just one
person, but the app doesn’t really encourage it. Slingshot’s killer feature is its
Select All button. Every time you send a shot to a bunch of friends, the app
immediately pops up all the shots you’ve just unlocked from those friends. . The
app let you react to shots you’ve unlocked by tapping on them. The ability to
quickly react to a post with a selfie or text comment is one of the app’s best
features, and fortunately, friends’ reactions to your shots are always unlocked
and ready to view. Slingshot allows you to search for people you know and there
isn’t one central contacts menu where you can easily view all your
connections. And, unlike Snapchat, there is no approval process for adding
connections. Anyone can send messages to anyone whose information they might
have. You would be able to search your friends through their username or
connect with your fb account. The app boasts of ultra-slick animations and
images that de-pixelize stylishly as they open.
"We don’t see this as a messaging app," says Flynn. "It’s more along lines of a
feed or stream of content because of that pay-to-play mechanic." The bigger idea,
says Flynn, is to turn every user into a creator that posts more than they might
on Facebook — because "unlocking" your friends’ posts requires you to post
back. "[Venture capitalist] Fred Wilson once said that the cardinal rule of social
networks is that one percent of people create content and 90 percent of people
consume it," says Flynn, "and we want to flip that on its head.
It’s difficult to guess to what extent users would like this app and whether it can
rise to the level of snapchat or not. While some may like this pay to play idea but
many may turn away from this app thinking it too cumbersome for daily use.
Since the app isn’t available for download in india you can use the below link to
download the app
feed or stream of content because of that pay-to-play mechanic." The bigger idea,
says Flynn, is to turn every user into a creator that posts more than they might
on Facebook — because "unlocking" your friends’ posts requires you to post
back. "[Venture capitalist] Fred Wilson once said that the cardinal rule of social
networks is that one percent of people create content and 90 percent of people
consume it," says Flynn, "and we want to flip that on its head.
It’s difficult to guess to what extent users would like this app and whether it can
rise to the level of snapchat or not. While some may like this pay to play idea but
many may turn away from this app thinking it too cumbersome for daily use.
Since the app isn’t available for download in india you can use the below link to
download the app
http://www.apkreleases.com/2014/06/18/slingshot-10-apk-for-android-direct-
download-link/
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