iPhone App Store turns 5

On July 10, 2008, only five years ago today, the App Store opened. This not only changed how we used our cell phones and iPhones, but changed how we compute, communicate, and connect. Quite an impressive feat for a device that fits in your hand.

I’ve got a few thoughts on the App Store. To celebrate the App Store’s 5th Birthday, we’re giving away copies of ProCamera, one of the first photo apps available and still one of the best camera replacement apps. >>>

The first year or so of the iPhone, you were pretty much locked into the apps it offered unless you either installed one of the few web apps available or you Jailbreaked (jailbroke?) your iPhone which allowed you to install third-party apps to your device (among other things).

The App Store opened and changed everything. Now, for a buck or three, you could quickly, easily and trouble-free download a new app, instantly giving your iPhone new functionality. It was actually very revolutionary. Prior to the App Store, software was expensive and installing programs on a computer was never a guaranteed success.

The new App Store had games, utilities, and eventually photo apps. For a few dollars each, some of the earliest photo apps available offered features available in desktop software costing a lot more. PhotoForge and PhotoGene offered basic image editing capabilities right on your iPhone. CameraBag offered one-click filters that recreated several retro analog print styles. It was the app that inspired many early iPhoneographers, myself included. Camera Genius and ProCamera improved upon Apple’s very basic Camera app and added many new features that made the iPhone camera more like a camera and enabling early iPhoneographers to improve, even a little, the quality of their photographs.

These camera apps offered a basic digital zoom, rule of thirds composition grids, anti-shake stabilization, a timer, and… well, not much more. But they gave the iPhone camera more clout and paved the way for today’s generation of camera replacement apps with some pretty great, pro-level features. Without these early apps pioneering the way, the iPhone could have been just another Motorola RAZR with a pretty screen.

The App Store has gone from 500 apps on opening day to almost one million iOS apps today and has helped make the iPhone one of the most successful devices in history.

You can read more aout the App Store, photo apps and see our iPhoneography Timeline here.

Happy Birthday, App Store!

ProCamera Giveaway

ProCamera

ProCamera

Way back in October, 2009, ProCamera was one of the first photo apps I reviewed on Life In LoFi. To celebrate the fifth anniversary of the App Store. I’m very happy to be able to give away copies of ProCamera. It’s not only one of iPhoneography’s pioneering apps, but also one of the best camera replacement apps available today.

ProCamera has many big features, but without the clutter of its clean user interface that ProCamera is known for. It’s got one of the best cameras available for iPhone, a studio module where you can perform image edits in app, a built-in filters suite, a powerful video camera and many more features. ProCamera gives me the power-user tools I need to shoot great photos and gets me shooting them quickly so I’m less likely to miss the shot.

You can read my latest review of ProCamera here.

To be eligible to win a copy, simply enter the giveaway below. If you follow us on Facebook and Twitter, you’ll have additional chances for a free copy. UPDATE: These codes are good globally, in any App Store.

Cut-off time to enter is 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight time, Friday, July 12, 2013. Winners will be determined by Random.org. One code per reader, please.

Winners will be notified by email, Facebook message or Twitter direct message — be sure to check your spam filter. If you enter, be sure your email info is correct or your code will go to someone else. Your email address is used for contest entry and for contacting the winning entrants only. We will not use or sell your email address for any other purpose.

ProCamera is $4.99 in the App Store. ( ). ProCamera HD for iPad is also available for $4.99. It’s designed for iPad and fully utilizes the larger screen of the device. ( )

a Rafflecopter giveaway

(If you’re having trouble viewing the giveaway widget on a mobile device, try viewing this page in landscape mode on your iPhone.)

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Big thanks to Jens Daemgen, Lan Lin and the team at Cocologics for the download codes for this giveaway.