Echofon for iPhone is Back on Top
By: @Hilzfuld
The Twitter iPhone app industry is booming. I have never actually counted, but I am pretty sure the App Store has more Twitter apps then it does any other kind of app. Developers feel the space heating up and release new Twitter apps daily. Unfortunately, most of the time, these apps are missing one of the key components needed in a successful mobile app. Some of them are overflowing with so many cool features, things that Twitter’s API just began supporting. Generally speaking, those are the kind of apps that are lacking in the user experience arena.
Then there are apps that are ultra simplistic and have the user tweeting in no time. 90% of the time, these apps provide a superior experience, but when it comes to using the advanced features offered by the Twitter API such as Lists, Geo location, the new RT, and so much more, these features are nowhere to be found. I personally preferred these kinds of apps over the feature packed apps, simply because at the end of the day, 90% of your time on Twitter is spent tweeting, replying, and RTing, all features supported by any Twitter app.
The choice was not an easy one, and I was tempted to use apps like Twittelator Pro and Tweetings, even though Echofon offered what was in my opinion an easier user interface. I kept both Echofon and Tweetings on my iPod’s first home screen, Echofon for my every day tweeting, and Tweetings for those “rare” occasions in which I needed my lists or other advanced features.
Well, all that changed last night with the release of Echofon 3.0. Last night in general, was a good night for iPhone/iPod users with the release of the Facebook 3.1 and Echofon 3.1. The new version of Echofon packs in all the features the previous version was missing, but for me, the biggest and most important addition are Twitter lists.
Why is this important you ask? Good question! One of the most common questions I hear about Twitter, in addition to “Why do I care what you are doing?” is “How do you follow so many people?” It is a legitimate question. I am personally following over 6,000 people, so how is it possible to read so many tweets? The answer? It isn’t! I follow 6,000 people, but have lists categorizing all those people, making it much more manageable.
For example, I have my “Favtweeeps” list. That list includes all the people that really interest me and/or I communicate with regularly. Let’s just say that most of the time I spend on Twitter is spent reading the tweets of the people on that list. I also follow a list created by Robert Scoble, called iPhone. Any iPhone information can be found by following that list. All in all, Twitter Lists are one of the most important features added in the last year. Echofon 3.1 includes lists, and in my opinion, does it better than anyone before it.
Not only can you view lists in the new Echofon, you can edit and create lists from the app’s interface as well. The entire tab of lists in the new Echofon is designed to perfection with all the features present in a simple and obvious interface.
The new Echofon also includes the new RT, which has created a hot debate on Twitter, and I personally do not use, but at least the option is there. It also offers full support of geo tagging, as well as nearby tweets, an advanced search mechanism, and a very needed Auto Complete feature (if you cannot remember people’s Twitter names). The new version of Echofon also support Voice Over if you want to be spoken to as opposed to viewing your options.
All in all, I can confidently say that this is the most complete Twitter app available today. It is the only one I know of that includes a simple UI, which is absolutely packed with featured. In fact, I would go as far as to say, the new Echofon is missing nothing. The free version will be available soon, but will be missing certain features, such as push notifications.
What is your favorite Twitter app? Please let us know in the comments.
Our Rating: 5/5
Developer: Naan Studio
