Good news for those holding out to buy Tapatalk! There’s now a FREE version, alongside the paid version. Previously, the app came in two flavors, both paid. The standard Tapatalk app was previously $2.99 and was geared toward smartphones, although it came with an outdated UI hearkening back to the Gingerbread days, and there’s the Tapatalk 4 HD, which was supposed to be optimized for tablets (hence, the HD moniker) as well as adhering to the holo-styled design philosophy which is right at home with ICS and above.
I’ve had both versions (I bought the HD version when it was for sale recently), and I was able to use both on my smartphone, meaning the HD is usable on phones despite it being labeled as being for tablets. I eventually uninstalled the standard version, as the new UI played well with me. However, I did find that pricing scheme confounding. I guess Tapatalk thought so, too, and have now standardized their app offerings.
The new free version replaces the standard paid app in the Play Store, and it also now comes with the holo style of the HD version, though it fits lower resolution screens. However, the old standard version is still being offered (now for free) for those devices that can’t use holo themes, i.e. Gingerbread and below. But you won’t find that in the Play Store. You’ll have to head over to Tapatalk’s Support Page for that.
The new Tapatalk Pro, on the other hand, replaces the HD version, but inherits the standard’s former price at $2.99. At that price, you get some cool nifty features, such as a built-in photo editor (you’ll be thanking them once you use this), photo sharing without the Tapatalk logo watermark, and of course support for high resolution screens.
For those who bought the HD version, you’ll find that your app’s name has changed to Pro. I’ve been using the HD for quite a while, and I can truly say that you’ll be getting your money’s worth. And I’ve been using the standard version for much longer, and I can honestly say that there’s absolutely NO reason why wouldn’t install this baby, given that it’s absolutely free.
If you’ve read my previous article about Windows Phone 8, you wold recall that I’ve listed Tapatalk as one of those apps that I really can’t live without (A version for WP8 has since arrived, though I’ve yet to buy it). I follow a lot of forums, mostly in photography, XDA, a couple of Android forums, and a couple of gaming forums, and I really appreciate the app’s intuitive design and notifications. It’s also much better to read the forums in the app instead of the browser. And I don’t have to check each one of them.
My only caveat is that not all forums support Tapatalk just yet, but there’s a wide selection, and most major ones support it. In my experience, I’m currently subscribed to just one forum that refuses to support Tapatalk (something to do with the admins not wanting to install plug-ins in their server, though I keep pestering them to try the app out).
Regardless, though, if you’re subscribed to even just one forum, I would highly recommend you install the free version at the least. If you’re not keen on sharing pictures that often, and don’t mind the lower resolution, then the free version is more than enough. :)
UPDATE: I just checked the WP Market Place, and the Tapatalk version for WP8 is now FREE! There was no Pro version, though. Really nice of Tapatalk, Inc to offer the free version in the platform!