10 apps that we used to obsess over but are now vintage
We review some smartphone apps that you probably still have but no longer use
In a world that moves at the crazy-fast speed imposed by the Internet, the popularity cycle of mobile applications seems to be getting shorter and shorter. The proof of this is that it doesn't take long to recall a good number of apps that were incredibly popular years ago but are hardly talked about anymore.
We decided to pay a small tribute to ten of these apps. They are examples of compelling interface designs and clever concepts that conquered hundreds of thousands of people around the world but faded away in our memories.
1. Angry Birds
Back in 2012, the name of this mobile video game was literally on everyone's lips. One of the most downloaded games in history, Angry Birds conquered millions of people around the world with its simple and addictive mechanics. Unfortunately, after knowing in 2014 that the US Security Agency had used player data to build surveillance databases, and a sequel not very well received, the game gradually disappeared.
2. Hipstamatic
One of the most important precursors of Instagram filters, Hipstamatic also had many users at the beginning of the decade of the 10s, thanks to a concept new at the time : the use of digital photo retouching techniques to give a vintage look to the pictures. Applications that were subsequently popularized, such as the aforementioned Instagram, ended the reign of Hipstamatic.
3. Cinemagram
Cinemagraphs (seemingly static but really animated photographs, in which one or more elements move) have gained strength in the world of social networks and creativity in the second half of the 10s, and Cinemagram was one of the first really popular applications that put them into practice.
4. iBeer
The truth is that iBeer does not require much explanation: taking advantage of the iPhone's motion sensors, also called gyroscopes, the app simulated a glass of beer that emptied as one tilted the smartphone. At a time when this kind of tricks still surprised everyone, iBeer became popular as the ideal app to have a laugh.
5. Candy Crush
One of the most addictive and most downloaded games in history, Candy Crush still survives in millions of mobile phones around the world, but its best days are undeniably behind us. With even simpler gameplay than Angry Birds, bright colors, and dynamic movements, Candy Crush made its creators millionaires and proved that, as is often the case, less is more.
6. Vine
In 2017 we finally said goodbye to one of the most popular social video apps in history. The short video format that is so common today integrated into apps like Instagram, was first popularized by Vine, an app that had a huge following among teenagers and young adults, who found in their fast and ephemeral idea a new way of communicating for the 21st century.
7. Blackberry Messenger
Before WhatsApp dominated our lives, Blackberry Messenger showed us how to break free from the tyranny of SMS fees, with useful features inherited from classic IM programs such as MSN Messenger. It was only available for Blackberry devices (remember them?), and that seal.
8. Ello
Initially promoted as the "anti-Facebook" due to its strict security policies and lack of publicity, it became popular in certain sectors of journalism, creativity, and culture, but never established itself globally outside the United States. Although it still exists, it is very likely that you have never heard of it.
9. Foursquare
One of the pioneers in the recommendation of places (a kind of "urban guide"), Foursquare was especially popular at the end of the first decade of the 21st century and the beginning of the second. Its attractive interface and commitment to collaborative knowledge hooked millions of users around the world, but already well into the decade of the 10 its managers decided to rename it as Swarm, leaving behind the original app.
10. Pokémon GO
Who did not play Pokémon GO in 2016? A truly global phenomenon, the Japanese application inspired people from all over the planet to take to the streets and hunt Pokemon. A sudden craze that generated surprising headlines and reached people of all ages, reminding us that, from time to time, what we need in our lives is to play a little.
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