Photogene² for iPhone Review

Photogene 2 (stylized Photogene², but I like to call it Photogene times Photogene) is the newest version of one of iOS' preeminent photo editing apps. Boasting a new interface and new features, this app allows users to edit properties and attributes of photos, apply filters, stylish frames, and then share to the world. New properties to edit, along with advanced retouching tools, are part of what's new in Photogene 2.

The power that comes with Photogene 2 is astounding. There are many, many options, from modifying brightness, exposure, contrast and other attributes to make photos look clearer or in a certain style. Frames and Instagram-esque filters can also be applied, with the ability to take photos with live filtering roses what they'll look like as the photo is taken. I was quite concerned about what a new app would bring, having bought versions of Photogene for iPhone and iPad, but Photogene for iPhone owners get one of the 3 in-app purchases for free, including the $6 Pro add-on, which adds advanced retouching features and image property editing that aren't necessary for most users, but are a very nice add-on to have. There are a ton of sharing options, with built-in Twitter image sharing support, Facebook, Flickr, FTP, and Dropbox uploading.

At launch, there are some oddities with the interface and its appearance and disappearance in certain spots. It's possible with some functions to tap on the lower edge of the screen to call up the toolbar, whereas in others it will edit in the photo. The inconsistency, and occasional glitchiness of it, is annoying. The ability to load photos from Dropbox, not just to save to there, would be greatly appreciated.

This works as a great companion to an app like Camera+. It's possible to get fantastic results like in that app, and the advanced options bring up even more possibilities for image enhancement. Because of the complexities of the new options, the casual user may prefer Camera+'s relative simplicity, but Photogene 2 is a very powerful photo editor worth checking out.