Snapchat

Snapchat is now probably the most advanced video chat app with all the newest technologies, like real-time filters and masks, self-destructing messages, and lots of other features. You can download it for iOS and Android and enjoy in full.

Functionality — 5/5

It’s a new generation video chat, with group chats, unlimited texting, and lots of special effects. It’s all about speaking frankly, with all of your heart and youth. To set yourself free, you can provide your messages self-destruction, or, on the contrary, hide your vulnerabilities under special effects of augmented reality.

Design — 4/5

The app seems a bit strange, compared with other popular messengers. It’s about making videos more than about sending them (though it’s rather an app for communication). Its controls are gesture-based, and you’ll need to learn these swipes to operate Snapchat easily. It doesn’t necessarily take the freshest devices, but, the more powerful is the hardware, the easier will it handle AR operations.

Usability — 4/5

Snapchat doesn’t exactly follow the unwritten guidelines for modern messengers. It starts with opening the camera, and you can record your video at once, with filters and effects you want. Then you can send it to anyone you want, or share via social media.

When you send a message, you can set its self-destruction time after the recipient reads it. It can be up to 10 seconds – enough to see and figure out, not enough to say. But it can be snapped with another device; keep it in mind while sharing something very private.

Another step to protecting your privacy is a necessity to mutually invite friends and accept (or decline) invitations. It reminds the time of MSN and ICQ, where an internal ID and a nickname were often all to tell about the person. Now your Snapchat friend list may have nothing in common with your phone book. Thus you both keep your Snapchat life isolated, and your Snapchat info protected.

Cross-Platform Use — 5/5

There are Snapchat apps for iOS (iPhone and iPad separately) and for Android. As the app requires a lot of mobile features, there is no full Snapchat client for desktop platforms.

In-App Purchases

Most filters and effects in Snapchat are paid, though every day you get some for free. When you purchase a filter or an effect, you add it to your permanent library. Others remain fragile, changing every day. We cannot catch up with it, and no one can. So after reading Snapchat review just go and install Snapchat.

The Bottom Line

Snapchat is, first of all, meant for youth, ready to share their secrets privately and still in need of the mask. These users like it explicit and private simultaneously; if they want it immediately, they enhance their faces with a mask.

• Graphics 5
• Gameplay 4
• Controls 4
• Replay Value 5

Pros

Great camera effects and filters
Self-destroying messages
Contact list independent from your main phone book
New free effects daily

Cons

Most great effects are paid;
The contact list needs to be formed separately;
Your selfdeleting messages can be pictured by another device.