Camera+ 2.3.2 available… and the forthcoming demise of iOS 3
Camera+ 2.3.2 just made its way into the App Store. I’d love to be announcing a big, new version loaded with hella-features, but this bug-fix version will have to suffice for now until the upcoming version 2.4 is out. The great thing is that this version addresses a bunch of issues that have been plaguing many of you and, until now, have been very elusive to us.
Grab it now at http://campl.us
Here’s are the release notes…
➤ Camera+ now handles low memory conditions much better, especially on older, more feeble devices
➤ we fixed a bug where some photos weren’t able to be saved to the Camera Roll (caused by unexpected EXIF data in photos imported from some naughty little 3rd-party apps)
➤ handling photos from 3rd-party apps now adds the photos to the Lightbox immediately (yeah, this one sounds cryptic but it was an undocumented feature so don’t worry about it)
➤ improved progress status indicators so the app doesn’t seem like it’s not paying attention to you when it’s actually just busy thinking
➤ and various other minor bug fixes and enhancements
BREAKING NEWS: A new bug ☹
Shortly after releasing 2.3.2, we found out that there’s an issue when attempting to purchase the I ♥ Analog FX Pack. We’ve already submitted a 2.3.3 update and hopefully it’ll get approved quickly (2.3.2 got approved blazingly fast compared to the past, so it looks like Apple may have recently streamlined their app review process).
iOS 3: die, die, die!
It gives me great pleasure to announce that version 2.3.3 is the very last Camera+ version that will work on iOS 3.x. To put it bluntly, supporting iOS 3 a huge pain in the ass for us. It takes resources away from actually moving the app forward because we often need to special-case the code so that the app will work with the mostly obsolete OS. And this causes us to have to test many code paths. It’s simply not a good use of available resources, especially since there are so few people still using iOS 3.
In fact, the aforementioned I ♥ Analog FX Pack bug was caused by us having to deal with legacy code issues. It’ll be really nice to see iOS 3 support go away so that we can focus on adding cool things to the app and not supporting ancient history.
Some made-up statistics about iOS 3 users…
- 76% of iOS 3 users are Satanists
- 59% of iOS 3 users own at least 3 Britney Spears albums
- 82% of iOS 3 users hate puppies, kitties, and bunnies
- 67% of iOS 3 users secretly want to get an Android phone
- a whopping 94% of iOS 3 users believe in Creationism
I’m sure there are scads more. And that’s exactly why we have comments…
tap tap tap is a leading iPhone and iPad app developer and publisher. We’ve been creating top-notch apps since the App Store first opened. Our apps are used by literally millions of people in all corners of the world.
A few of our favorite and most popular apps we’ve created are:
Camera+
the ultimate photo app
The Heist
solve puzzles.
Classics
your favorite books, in your pocket
Voices
voice morphing for your iPhone
Convert
unit convert
PiratedTVPro
6:26am, October 25, 2011
00.01% of iOS 3 users hit a Chinese baby with a car.
Tom
6:31am, October 25, 2011
What’s wrong with creationism?
steelblue
6:33am, October 25, 2011
When can we use the volume up to take photo?
Walter
6:34am, October 25, 2011
100% of those users are Camera+ users and thus have paid for your app. Singling people out like that should have gotten whoever wrote it fired. As taptaptap is a corporation that produces apps and is not a church, or pulpit for any one individual to discuss, enforce, or reprimand any race religion or creed.
For shame.
Zev Eisenberg
6:35am, October 25, 2011
@Tom this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BS5vid4GkEY
Sebastiaan
6:38am, October 25, 2011
Uh oh, now you’ve done it. The creationists are after you! Your blog is not a pulpit, but your comment section, well…
Rado
6:38am, October 25, 2011
As someone who has suffered constant crashes with every 2.0+ release, this is shocking. I wonder what the resources allocated to iOS 3 compatibility have been doing and how does management justify their existence while they constantly failed and were damaging the company’s reputation. Also, PR department.
This coming from a paid app that requested more money for filters, is outrageous. Of course none of that matters because you already made a mint, so good riddance.
Kody
6:40am, October 25, 2011
That last statistic honestly made me fall off my chair laughing. Thank you for the humor, taptaptap!
PiratedTVPro
6:44am, October 25, 2011
10% of iOS 3 users gave Steve Jobs cancer.
benjamincrozat
6:53am, October 25, 2011
Awesome article ha ha.
CheapAndAngry
7:00am, October 25, 2011
Some iOS 3 users have an original iPhone still because they can’t afford to upgrade to a new phone and a more expensive data plan.
Perhaps you should offer your iOS 3 customers $660 to upgrade to a new 32GB iPhone 4S. That will cover the cost of the device and the difference in the data plan for the two-year contract…
Heath
7:04am, October 25, 2011
Creationism makes more sense than rocks coming to life. Matter cannot be created or destroyed and living things cannot come from non living material. But if you add the magic of ‘time’ the scientists kind of agree. Although they do admit that there is no proof and it’s only a belief… Religious, if you get right down to it.
Ed
7:08am, October 25, 2011
Although I see the humor in the iOS 3 remarks (I would wouldn’t I, I’m on iOS 5), I’m not sure that was too clever. You’re gonna piss a lot of customers off with that one.
Jonathan
7:09am, October 25, 2011
@Walter’s right. The first 4 were silly the last one is potentially insulting to many. You should have left it out.
Jan
7:19am, October 25, 2011
I can see you guys celebrating over dropping iOS3-support for the extra workload it produces. But just keep it to yourselves! Do you really think iOS3 users bought your app to bother you? It sounds like you’re happy to finally get rid of these customers. Bad style.
Jorge Bernal
7:37am, October 25, 2011
Blame Apple for that. If they allowed different versions on the app store, I’m pretty sure taptaptap (as many others) would keep a legacy release and support that. Many mac developers do that, supporting old versions for Panther and Leopard.
Since you can only have one version, you can only choose between dropping support for a 4 year old phone, or hold everyone else back with slower development cycles.
You might not agree with the way they announced it, but I’m actually surprised they kept supporting iOS3 for so long. Even apple’s own iWork suite appears to be iOS5 only, and you pay a lot more for that
Josh Hofer
7:52am, October 25, 2011
With every update I hope for the ability to control the strength of the Clarity feature.
With each update, I’m disappointed it’s not there
ian
7:53am, October 25, 2011
Yes hilarious post.
I agree 100% with CheapAndAngry and others who are astonished by the lack of commercial attitude on display here. I am still using iOS 3 because I don’t want to pay 850 euros to replace my 2 year old phone.
Unlike most sheep here I’m not going to be taken down Apples ultra-consumerism lifestyle route.
One thing is for sure, If I do finally upgrade my hardware I will not be buying anything from taptap.
Byebyebye
Brian
7:57am, October 25, 2011
And at least 33% of the taptaptap Principals come off as dicks.
Ithika
7:58am, October 25, 2011
Wow, Taptaptap, what poor taste, re: iOS 3 user bagging. Not everyone is made of money.
You have no right to judge people on their religious beliefs, no right to judge people for refusing to upgrade to an iOS that effectively bricks their phone, no right to judge people for not purchasing a new _thousand dollar_ phone if their old one still works.
For a company that is normally a delight, this one was in incredibly bad taste. Take it down, and replace it with an apology to all those you have so carelessly insulted. But I suppose that once we’ve brought your app, you don’t really care, do you?
- Ithika
(A smug deist, for your information. Wiki it.)
Brian
8:00am, October 25, 2011
Anyone still running iOS 3 is either using an original iPhone or cares that little about their phone that they haven’t updated it in years. Either case, they probably won’t mind using the current version of Camera+ … besides, the iPhone and iPhone 3G’s camera is awful, any modern app likely takes *forever* to load in the first place.
I was more than happy to sell off my iPhone 3G by the time the iPhone 4 dropped.
Anyone who complains about the inability to “afford” a new iPhone – you can’t afford to upgrade to a FREE 3GS, but dropped $500 on the original? Lord knows your original contract is long up.
“But I’m a paying customer!” … You paid, what? $2.99? Get over yourself.
This is the tech world, keep up or be left behind.
If you’re complacent with your old phone and/or old OS, then don’t complain when a developer doesn’t want to spend his or her valuable hours trying to support the old OS that so FEW people are still using – when they could instead put those hours to furthering their product for the rest of us.
Stay hungry, stay foolish, Taptaptap!
Ithika
8:08am, October 25, 2011
@Brian The point is moot – labeling any group of customers in a way meant to be jestfully derogatory – harmless, if you will – and then including legitimate religious groups is not professional. It would be the same if they had written “94% of iOS 3 users are fat”
or “94% of iOS 3 users are girls” or whatever. You can’t single out groups for the purpose of mockery!
Taptaptap should be professional in their correspondence with the public. How is upgrading to a 3GS ever free? Perhaps those with original iPhones have since switched to pre-paid. I don’t know – I have an iPhone 4 on a decent contract, and I will upgrade when that contract expires.
I don’t even disagree with Taptaptap ceasing to support iOS 3 – it makes sense, and is completely logical. What I disagree with it is the manner of their announcement.
iestyn
8:16am, October 25, 2011
@walter have a sense of humour, life’s too short
Brian
8:16am, October 25, 2011
Great.. now there’s two Brians.
Out of those two Brians,
50% are hilarious.
50% are dickish.
iestyn
8:21am, October 25, 2011
that goes to the rest of you serious people too
Zano
8:28am, October 25, 2011
I love camera+ and the work you guys do. Really glad to be supporting iOS developers. But your last point is really insulting. Please have more respect for your customers.
Ryan
8:48am, October 25, 2011
Not all Creationists are wackos like in the above YouTube video, and not all taptaptap customers are secular either. You’ve implied that being a Creationist equates to being ignorant or behind-the-times; personally, I think it takes more faith to believe that something came from nothing than to acknowledge there is a God who created it. Regardless, tour blog post went from funny to offensive in about two seconds—and I went from taptaptap supporter to detractor in about the same amount of time. Your customers are owed an edited post and a sincere apology.
Nick
8:59am, October 25, 2011
I’m not bothered by the dropping of legacy support. I do believe in Creationism, though. I don’t feel that makes me unintelligent, though.
mark
9:32am, October 25, 2011
AWESOME post. every word of it! nice to see you guys have both a sense of humor and gray matter, as well as incredible style.
Jaime
9:54am, October 25, 2011
I love Camera+.
I hate your disdain for those of us that supported you all the way to where you are today.
Eytan
10:00am, October 25, 2011
So wait, you paid $1.99 or maybe $.99 for the app. You’ve been using it for 2 or more years. If you are on an original iPhone or a 3g iPhone your camera SUCKS to begin with, and you are unhappy that after 2 years of free upgrades, they are no longer supporting something that constitutes < 5% of the customer base?
I agree 100% with dropping support for iOS 3.
That being said, the rudeness of the blog post had me flabbergasted. Do you really want to offend so many groups of people? I do not believe in creationism, nor am I a Satanist, I do not hate puppies and kittens, I don't like Britney Spears, and lastly, I don't want an Android phone – but if you look at the sum total of those groups of people, you are looking at well over 50%, not 5%, and you have just offended each and every one of them. Shame on you.
gr
11:19am, October 25, 2011
funny how a posting about an app turns into discussion about creationism. and yes creationism is stupid.
every programmer knows that painting a picture is easy compared to writing a program that paints a picture. creationists believe in the painter god, evolution would be a very advanced scheme to create the world we live in. a god that could create a world that evolves from a tiny singularity into the complex world we live in is 100000000000000000 times more powerful than the small painter god the creationists believe in.
Mike Anderle
12:03pm, October 25, 2011
As a programmer who has written code for over twenty years, I find your ignorance of ‘God’ creationists believe in to be weak incredibly naive.
Writing code doesn’t make you wise.
Nor does writing a camera app blog allow one to spout personal bias and not affect my opinion of TapTapTap.
T-Will
12:16pm, October 25, 2011
That last statistic did take it a little far. I wouldn’t consider the other items to be perceived an attack on someone’s core belief. I admit, I’m slightly offended, but not enough to stop using Camera+ haha.
Steven
12:25pm, October 25, 2011
Taptaptap isn’t going to reach though the internet and delete the app from your phone. You are NOT entitled to free app updates for life, so get over it.
And Creationists? You realize Creationism was left behind by even the religious right, don’t you? It’s called Intelligent Design now. Not only does your phone need upgraded, but so do your arguments.
iynque
12:50pm, October 25, 2011
I have to admit that I was a little distracted by the last stat about creationists. Oddly, I didn’t mind you calling out Satanists. Apparently no one else did either, but why should people fervently defend creationism and not satanism? Obviously we all have opinions about right and wrong religious beliefs. It’s odd to use a professional medium for a personal opinion, but it’s not wrong to have or express that opinion. I do hope that no apology is made. At most, the line between a personal opinion and the corporate stance on acceptable religious practices should be pointed out. Apparently some people are incapable of making this distinction themselves.
Ahem, er, I mean… Great app! Glad to see you’re moving forward. When can I take pictures with the volume button?
Banker
1:28pm, October 25, 2011
Could you please add the volume button snap option in the next release (soon)? Apple must allow it this time, since they are using it in their own app.
EnTerr
2:01pm, October 25, 2011
Do you have statistics what % of Camera+ users are on iOS3? I did research in the beginning of the year (2011) and that number was ~10% at the time (accounting for iPod Touches too). I wonder what’s the situation with your user base?
Johnny
2:53pm, October 25, 2011
Shame shame. Continue to make and improve your apps, and leave the sarcasm and humor to the pros. You must be taking customer service lessons from Netflix.
nato64
4:54pm, October 25, 2011
@Ithika
What do you mean they have no right? They are a private company and can say whatever they want! If you’re offended, then you’re offended. Nothing’s happened!
Relevant: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cycXuYzmzNg
If you think companies should live in plastic bubbles of 100%-political correctness, well then, frankly, I’m offended.
nato64
5:01pm, October 25, 2011
Also, I can’t honestly cannot fathom why people are upset over iOS 3 support. It’s not like Camera+ will just stop working. The app won’t disappear under your fingertips. Your day-to-day life with Camera+ will not change! It just means that going forward, free, unpaid, updates will not support the oldest App Store OS. You paid $1.99 or 99¢ for an app and after 2 years of free updates you’re complaining that you won’t get more free updates!
Frankly this should be source material for @AssHoleAppUser
CJ
5:01pm, October 25, 2011
I only stumbled upon this post after I saw someone had given the app one star in the App Store. They sighted this post and I wanted to check it out.
I’m really shocked and quite disgusted. I’m neither a creationist nor a satanist, but both groups should be offended. Whoever writes these blog posts is a real as*hole. I don’t care if people paid 1 cent for this app, why would you even want to jokingly alienate your customers, particularly for supporting you?
God, I hope someone else develops another app that blows this one out of the water.
CJ
5:05pm, October 25, 2011
@Nato64
I don’t see anyone getting upset about taptaptap dropping support for iOS 3, I see people being bothered by their “good riddance” attitude toward their customers who still use it. That post wasn’t funny and they could have done it tactfully. Even if you feel like a company shouldn’t be 100% PC, fine, but I don’t understand the idea of encouraging a company to insult it’s customers. That’s just backwards.
Scott
5:47pm, October 25, 2011
Bad play. John, hopefully you and tap tap tap will learn from this PR misstep.
DarkAthena
8:52pm, October 25, 2011
Rudeness does not become anyone. That being said, when might the “Sound Off” option actually work? No, my phone is not Japanese. Any HDR option on the horizon?
leo
6:04am, October 26, 2011
The “made-up statistics about iOS 3″ made me laugh, especially the creationism part, because, you know… Creationism? Really? We are in the twenty-first century, please… Talking snake? Seems like the name of a very boring app…
Keep up the good work!! Like camera+ a lot!
Greetings from Brazil!
Can’t wait to see v. 2.4!
John Wixton
9:50am, October 26, 2011
FRAGMENTATION
Miguel
1:49pm, October 27, 2011
V2.3.2 crashing again and again after the 3rd picture, not saving photos to camera roll, need to delete / install the app after every crash.
Simon
6:03pm, October 27, 2011
I’m having exactly the same problem as Miguel (immediately above) and glad I’m not the only one!
Nox Dineen
11:40am, October 28, 2011
Considering that the only devices currently stuck using iOS 3 are the original iPhone and the 3G, both of which have basically been end-of-lifed by Appled themselves, it’s a bit ridiculous for people to be freaking out about TapTapTap following suit.
Anybody using a 4+ year old device probably isn’t surprised when the latest software doesn’t work for them.
Donna Brown
12:01pm, October 29, 2011
Been using Camera+ on my iPhone 4 for a while now. Today, it just STOPPED working…that is the shutter realeasse…either greyed out and non-responsive, or sometimes NOT greyed out…STILL unresponsive. Where do I find help for troubleshooting this issue, or can you tell me how to fix it? LOVED Camera+ but can’t use it anymore! (Just upgraded my iPhone OS a week ago…upgraded the Camera+ app also and it was still working fine, until a while ago when it just decided to stop working! HELP!
Donna Brown
3:44pm, October 29, 2011
Turned off and restarted the phone…all is well. When all else fails, just restart the device. If only LIFE were so simple…;-)
DivineUK
5:13pm, October 29, 2011
I’m experiencing the same crash as above.
The app will take 3 pics, then the device has to be rebooted in order to work again.
iPhone 4S/iOS5
Erin Ross
8:02pm, October 29, 2011
Help! Love this app, and purchased the Analog Pack back in February… Upgraded to iOS5 and now it doesn’t seem to ‘know’ I have already purchased the pack… It shows up as available to purchase… But I already have. Halp?!
Erin Ross
8:06pm, October 29, 2011
Ack, found the solution!
Under Menu, down at the bottom is a ‘Restore purchases’ option. Tada!
Ajack
12:26am, October 30, 2011
How do you delete photos from the photo stream? There seems to be no delete feature! What the F is up with THAT?
Dom
3:01pm, October 30, 2011
Having a similar problem with all the various camera apps (including Camera+, Apple’s Camera, and Hipstamatic) where the live image doesn’t appear (you just get the aperture shutter image) and sometimes it locks and freezes. This only happened after I upgraded to iOS5; I suspect the issue may the RAM on my 3GS or a bug on iOS5. Have logged the bug on the Apple feedback page for iPhone.
Only a month to end of contract, so I think that a 4S may be the solution ultimately…
Ian
10:30am, October 31, 2011
I am also having the same problem where I can only take 3 pics before it locks up. Yes I have closed out and restarted but the same problem occurs. Please tell me there’s a fix on the way!
Don Crossland
8:08pm, October 31, 2011
I am also having the issue with the shutter button graying out after 2 or 3 pictures. The fix is probably not in the update just submitted to Apple. Judging from the newest series of 1-star reviews on the App store I am sure this must be a priority. Can you please address this in the blog so we know what’s going on?
Doug
11:29pm, October 31, 2011
I second what Dan Crossland wrote. Please give us a time guesstimate on when this will be addressed. Until such time, the app is useless.
Jamie
10:19am, November 2, 2011
It’s been over a week since you released this update that clearly broke Camera+ for a lot of users, yet you’ve still said nothing on the matter.
I understand that these things aren’t always easy to diagnose, but could you please at least acknowledge the problem and let us know that you are looking at it?
Apple
5:09pm, November 3, 2011
I use ios3 and I am very offended about your post…
Fine.. you dont need to support ios3, but that doesn’t mean you should insult the thousands of people who still use it.
FinkMac
5:36pm, November 3, 2011
Nice. Nice. This is inevitable, but you don’t have to be jerk and mock iOS 3 users… Here is an idea… keep the iOS 3 version on the app store for free…
Oh, right you can’t do that cause you’d lose sales… but you seem okay with losing sales by not supporting iOS 3… I won’t be surprised if potential customers turn to (ahem) “other” methods of getting this app…
Gregg Hinnen
10:14am, November 14, 2011
Have purchased camera + but now it won’t update to 2.3.3 and it won’t work on my iphone 4. ??
App icon says I need to update but when I try, just keeps telling me can’t update at this time, try later (for about 7 days now!!
What’s up!
dakpluto
7:04am, November 17, 2011
Best freaking blog post ever. To the ones offended…omg lighten up.