Written Android App Review
Say Cheese! The fun thing about phones, and other Android devices, is that you usually have them tucked in your pocket. Meaning that when life gives you one of those wonderful precious moments that you would love to have forever etched in your mind and on your heart, you have a camera ready and waiting. With that in mind, how fun would it be to have all the effects of a big professional camera sucked down to tiny, slip in your pocket size? Pic-Fx Camera Upgrade claims to do just that. This new app is designed to upgrade the camera on your phone with all of the professional effects and filters you could ever dream of. But, is it too good to be true?
Pic-Fx Camera Upgrade
Functionality
Functionality with this app was a problem right off the bat. Right when it opens Pic-Fx offers many different pics of flowers, each shot through a different filter. They look great, and its exciting to think about what you would be able to do with this technology. The only problem is that it is difficult to get the app to actually connect with the camera so that it can be put to use. Many times it froze or locked up the phone or didn’t even work at all. It was one of those times when you touch the screen again and again, then sit back and watch while absolutely nothing happens. Well, that was fun.
Permissions
Talk about reading the fine print! This app goes well over the top when it comes to permissions and even steps into the area that many would consider to be malicious. When a user downloads Pic-Fx Camera Upgrade to their device, then they are agreeing to a whole host of things that they may not be aware of. For example. When this app is added to a device, then the user is giving their permission for it to record audio, have full control of the camera (as in it has the ability to take pictures and video at any time whether the user is aware or not), track, send, receive and delete text messages, monitor GPS locations, access the internet, read, write and change contact data and write or modify information stored on the SD card. Basically it has the power to turn your phone into a 24/7 monitoring device and both store and send the information that it finds without your knowledge. Lovely.
Value
Pic-FX is advertised as a free app, and it is free to download, but there are some “after the fact” charges with this app that users need to be aware of. Each user is charged $9.99 a month for “user tips,” to keep the program up and running on their device. I was already skeptical, but once I saw this, I was done. I deleted it and recommend that you do the same. In fact, don’t even download it in the first place.
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