Koloid Review
iPhone App
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Koloid Review

Our Review by Jennifer Allen on June 11th, 2013
Rating: starstarstarblankstarblankstar :: BASIC FILTERING
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It's certainly an unique way of adding new effects to photos, but Koloid lacks some essential features, making it more of a novelty than a handy tool.

Developer: 19th Century Apps
Price: $0.99
Version Reviewed: 1.0
Device Reviewed On: iPhone 5

iPhone Integration Rating: starstarstarblankstarblankstar
User Interface Rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar
Re-use Value Rating: starstarhalfstarblankstarblankstar

Overall Rating: starstarstarblankstarblankstar


Implementing photo filters in a quite quirky and tactile way, Koloid is briefly pretty fun to mess around with. I'm not convinced it's got the staying power of more well rounded filtering apps, though.


Quick to use, Koloid is also immediately quite simplistic. There's no way of importing existing photos with the app reliant on images taken directly from within it. That's a pretty obvious downside, especially for those looking for the extra features that more detailed photography apps can offer.

Once the image has been taken, it's down to the user to manipulate it through tilting and shaking. Reminiscent of a Polaroid snap, users must shake their iOS device in order to start the process. An orange virtual chemical liquid then appears with new effects created by tilting the device appropriately. Leave the liquid on one area for a brief while and that part of the picture turns darker and overdeveloped. Similarly, only briefly touch upon a section and it remains underdeveloped. It's certainly a different way of interacting with photo filters and, briefly, quite fun to mess around with.

It is all quite the gimmick though, with little reason to really use Koloid on a regular basis. It's nice to have original looking images each time but restrictions such as the inability to import images or manipulate them in any way than spreading liquid over them means the app is quite basic, even for the low price. There are reasonably extensive sharing features, as well as the ability to add a description and time stamp, but Koloid is still pretty basic, aside from its core concept.

There's a nice idea within Koloid but I can't see many people choosing to use it over more feature-packed photography apps. It's almost too focused on one idea, forgetting to appeal in other ways, crucially the ability to import.

iPhone Screenshots

(click to enlarge)

Koloid - hand developed photography screenshot 1 Koloid - hand developed photography screenshot 2 Koloid - hand developed photography screenshot 3 Koloid - hand developed photography screenshot 4 Koloid - hand developed photography screenshot 5
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