When Will Android Users Get Prisma App?

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UPDATE: Download Official Prisma App For Android From Google Play – The official Prisma App URL is available HERE.

One of the most successful iOS apps of recent years has been Prisma. This photo-editing application had achieved 7.5 million downloads and over 1 million active users earlier this month, having been released just one month earlier. Considering the overwhelming success of Prisma on the Apple platform, it is not surprising that Android users are now eagerly awaiting the launch of this software on the rival operating system.

Fine art app

Prisma enables users to morph photos into fine art similar to Picasso and Mondrian. Already the beta version of Prisma has appeared on Android, but this has now been withdrawn, with the developers stating that they have gleaned all the data required from this early experiment. While Android users wait with baited breath for the final release of Prisma, there has been a radio silence on the subject as its developers continuing to work on the software.

Prisma co-founder and CEO Alexey Moiseenkov must be extremely excited about the impact of this application. But the main man at Prisma has been extremely reticent about releasing any details of its Android debut, stating recently that he was unwilling to “disclose all this information. By the end of the week I think we can discuss more”, seemingly indicating that the release of Prisma on Android could be imminent.

Facebook buyout mooted

Meanwhile, complicating the issue is the fact that it has been widely rumoured that Prisma could be bought out by one of the big social media players. Facebook in particular has been linked with a buyout of this stratospherically successful software, and the aforementioned CEO Moiseenkov was at Facebook HQ this week to show off what appeared to be Facebook Lite running with a Prisma filter.

Facebook has been equally quiet on the subject of a buyout of Prisma, but it is believed considering the closeness of the two companies that this is a distinct possibility.

Rave reviews

The Prisma software has received rave reviews from both the critical and user community, and is an absolute bonafide hit based on its placings in the iOS app charts. Prisma has already become the #10 US app overall, and the #3 Photo and Video app. This is no mean feat for an independent software developer, and represents an incredible rise to success considering the short lifecycle of its existence.

In the short-term, the fate of Prisma is dependent on the ability of the developers to successfully monetize the software. Market experts have already surmised that this could be a challenging and delicate process for any company, and thus the temptation to sell the software to one of the giant corporations which dominates the technology space will be massive. Recent precedent has already occurred, with Snapchat having acquired Looksery and its animated selfie lenses for a reported $150 million.

Snapchat also bought Bitmoji’s personalized avatar stickers for around $100 million, with the growing social media company having already integrated them with the main Snapchat application. And if Prisma is seeking an example from Facebook, look no further than the purchasing of MSQRD, which also makes facial recognition lenses similar to those of Looksery.

Android release date?

So the medium-term future of Prisma seems to be extremely bright, but what is the prospect for this program appearing on Android in the nearer future? Well, the good news about a buyout for Prisma is that it would enable the development team behind the software to concentrate on improving the Prisma experience without worrying about its commercial challenges. If Facebook were to acquire the company, it is extremely likely that the existing development team would be retained, and this would enable the software to grow in terms of functionality, also attracting a larger and more profitable audience.

This could enable the developers to particularly focus on an Android version, which is something that they would obviously love to produce sooner rather than later. Considering the buzz which has by now built up around this innovative program, it seems an almost certainty that the Prisma software would be even more successful on the Google Play store than it has been on the Apple App Store.

Prisma silence

However, although this should be a major priority for Prisma, there has been little information forthcoming about the potential of the software appearing on Android. Perhaps this is an example of the company managing expectations, but it must be frustrating for those Samsung Galaxy users, among other major smartphones, who wish to download the software as soon as possible.

Of all the rivalries in the world of technology, the dichotomy between iOS and Android users is one of the most intense. And the fact that this by now infamous app appeared on the Apple platform first, and has yet to appear on Android in its fully furnished form, will be a major niggle for many Android users.

Legal delays

A Facebook buyout of Prisma could even delay the release of the app somewhat, while the legal particulars of such a major deal are finalised. This could mean that Prisma does not even hit Android until the pre–Christmas marketplace, with weeks and months taken up by the legal shenanigans involved.

But with neither party seemingly certain of this multi-million eventuality, it is more likely that Prisma will see the light of day on Android sooner rather than later. The app marketplace is considerably less reliant on certain important release windows than hardware and other forms of software, so with the beta version of Prisma now completed, it is likely that we will see the final version appear on Android either late in August or early September.

Meanwhile, the reputation of this innovative artwork-creating software continues to grow, and there is no doubt that Prisma is one of the massive application success stories of 2016, or indeed any other year.

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