Adobe Brings Photoshop to the iPhone and Nobody Seems to Care

**Michael Essany** · 10-11-2009, 12:50 PM

Image via USA Today

On Friday, Adobe rolled out Photoshop.com Mobile for the iPhone. A straightforward and free mini Photoshop app that lets you tweak and add effects to your photos taken with the iPhone, this app brought with it a great deal of initial excitement and curiosity. Eric Zeman at InformationWeek was clear in his own excitement as he revealed the news.

Adobe surprised more than a few people when it made free (yes, free) photo editing software available for the iPhone. Given what Adobe charges for Photoshop CS4, you'd think this software would cost a pretty penny. Nope. It's gratis.

In the last 72 hours, nearly one hundred major media outlets (by my count) covered the unveiling of the Photoshop app. And then, suddenly, people simply stopped talking about it.

The buzz and excitement quickly faded when, apparently, some folks started realizing that the iPhone's version of Photoshop can't replace Photoshop's $599 desktop application.

So, I guess at the risk of offending some, I'll go ahead and ask the obvious but awkward question that this reality begs to be asked. Was anyone really dumb enough to think that the Photoshop app would really offer the full range of complex functions native to the desktop version of Photoshop?

The most basic features offered by the software include cropping, rotating and flipping; ways to alter color exposure, saturation, tin, white and black; filters that apply sketching or soft focus; as well as effects such as vignetting, borders white glow and so on.

For a free app that embellishes the pics we take on the iPhone (which, let's face it, aren't always the most visually striking) I think its difficult to not be impressed. But, obviously, a lot of people were expecting a lot more. And their silenced excitement is communicating that reality loud and clear this weekend.

We've obviously grown to depend on our iPhone as much as we depend on our computers, but this is one example where we may have simply expected too much from an app that, in my opinion, is still worth having and getting excited about. Of course, if you feel differently, I would love to hear why.

**awesomeSlayer** · 10-11-2009, 12:53 PM

They should at least try to add as many features as possible.

**jdm.accord** · 10-11-2009, 12:54 PM

I got it. Wasn't expecting much so I wasn't disappointed. But its a decent free App. No complaints.

**choihyun** · 10-11-2009, 12:57 PM

i dont know why people dont care about it. i like it cause i can finally rotate my photos that i get through mms and the other extras are nice to have.

im pretty sure theres been previous apps that let you do this so thats probably why people arnt as excited. but i just like this one since its a name brand for me.

**GIRLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL** · 10-11-2009, 01:05 PM

Uhh, #1 free download. Sounds like a flop to me.

**angiepangie** · 10-11-2009, 01:07 PM

Hasn't this already been covered?

**acm0810** · 10-11-2009, 01:09 PM

Application is fun! and its free. seriously we have the best of the best and people still want more ?

**Raptors** · 10-11-2009, 01:10 PM

There's already a thread about Photoshop on iPhone

**JamesRubin** · 10-11-2009, 01:10 PM

Hey, I downloaded it and I love it. You can send the modded pix directly from the iPhone. Cool. Maybe there are others I haven't tried. When the words PhotoShop and freebie came up together, who could resist?

**santacruzlocal** · 10-11-2009, 01:23 PM

Free Adobe Photoshop for iPhone/iPod touch Released

"Uhh, #1 free download. Sounds like a flop to me."

1. There are alot of crap apps out there that have made number 1 !!!
2. Its free and has the Photoshop name of course people are going to download it.

PS ITS CRAP!!!!

**psychodave** · 10-11-2009, 01:28 PM

With the min level of features compared to whats out there for a buck or so I'm not suprised that no one is using it.

**hydroabiscuit** · 10-11-2009, 01:29 PM

i use photogene, works for me

**xjuliephanx** · 10-11-2009, 01:38 PM

I get that it's not great and probably doesn't deserve to be called Photoshop for iPhone but for a free app, it does some basic things I wouldn't otherwise get so while I don't love it, it's certainly still a cool app.

**thecortezfam6** · 10-11-2009, 01:39 PM

I think you missed the point "FREE APP" how can you complain about a "FREE APP".

**petterloco1** · 10-11-2009, 01:48 PM

This free app is like a demo of wath is about to come. I know adobe is doing this to get us interested in the app, untill they finish the full version.

**Chberain85** · 10-11-2009, 01:49 PM

it sucked big time!!

**timbo** · 10-11-2009, 01:50 PM

I'll be happy when the release flash, this app is like many others

**Exile Team** · 10-11-2009, 01:59 PM

I saw this but when I read the description it said that it was just an online folder to put your photos that is why I didn't download it, but I will now. It's better to download it just cause because it could become a payed app in some time.

**e10100** · 10-11-2009, 02:01 PM

Well of course you can't replace the iPhone photoshop application with the computer version...

**DuBB_B** · 10-11-2009, 02:02 PM

I think this is a pretty cool app. Im not a photoshop user so I wasnt expecting anything like the full blown program. Since this app is free its pretty impressive that you can edit the photos and save them.
I still dont understand why apple hasnt turned something like simple photo editing a basic function within the camera roll

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Image via USA Today On Friday, Adobe rolled out Photoshop.com Mobile for the iPhone. A straightforward and free mini Photoshop app that lets you tweak and add effects to your

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