Carbon for Twitter – try the slick new Twitter app on the block
by Paul Wilks
Feb 12, 2013 7:53 AM –
Install
Carbon for Twitter is, perhaps obviously, a Twitter client for Android. It was a much talked-about and hyped app which demonstrated a beautifully smooth user interface and some intuitive ways of navigating. After missing its originally promised release deadline, it seemed to disappear from the spectrum. Instead, busy Tweeters still keen for something new devoured apps like Falcon and Slices and Carbon was all but forgotten. However, Carbon for Twitter has now arrived and quite frankly looks rather beautiful. Now we can play with it ourselves, the question has to be asked- Is this just a superficial beauty or does it have all the bells and whistles it will require to usurp your primary Twitter app? Let’s see…
Price: Free
Tested on: Nexus 4
Content Rating: Everyone
Pros & Cons:
Pros
- Stunning user interface with beautiful design!
- Incredibly smooth to use!
- Easy to navigate! (once you know how)
- Multiple accounts!
- Access to most features including lists, conversations, searches, trending and filters!
Cons
- No widget.
- Navigation is a little tricky until you find your way around.
- Lacks a shortcut to get you to the top of your timeline.
Features:
Carbon for Twitter is yet another Twitter client jostling for your attention in the Google Play Store. There are some crackers out there too, Falcon and Slices perhaps being among the most notable of the recent releases. I think Carbon’s main selling point is its user interface. Almost unconditionally dark and remarkably smooth to use. Screen transitions and navigating around the app are beautifully animated and it’s clearly a quality application.
You can flick from side to side to view your mentions and private messages. If you pull down your timeline it abstractly tilts backwards which gives a 3D feel as it refreshes. There is a menu button (three vertical dots) located bottom right which triggers a side menu from the right hand side. This includes links to your favourites, lists, trends, search, filters and main settings. At the bottom of the main screen you have a + symbol which lets you compose a new tweet and a link to your own profile. It’s mostly quite simple to navigate but only once you know how. You have to initially explore everywhere to understand all this, there’s not much in the way of guidance.
I felt the app has most of the primary functions you would require for everyday use: multi-user accounts, lists, in-stream image viewer, conversations, searches, trending and filters. The app currently lacks a homescreen widget however which I think is a shame. One small bugbear is that you have to manually scroll to the top of your timeline. This isn’t perhaps too much of an issue if you are permanently attached to your Twitter feed but if you have a break, go back, then refresh, you’ll have to scroll upwards manually. This doesn’t ruin the app but it arguably makes it slightly more cumbersome than the likes of Falcon, Tweetdeck or the official Twitter client.
Carbon for Twitter is a great application but it doesn’t feel quite finished yet. It essentially feels more like a beta release but I see no reason why users should not expect an update that remedies some of these issues. It would be a crying shame if the app was tweaked here and there- it has masses of potential and I hope it proves popular.
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Carbon – Timeline
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Carbon – Individual tweet
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Carbon – Following
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Carbon – Profile access
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Carbon – Trending
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Carbon – Mentions
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Carbon – Lists
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Carbon – Individual list
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Carbon – Refreshing
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Carbon – Expanded in-stream images
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Carbon – Posted image expanded
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Carbon – Add tweet to image
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Carbon – Add image
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Carbon – In-stream video link
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Carbon – In-stream image
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Carbon – Posted image in-stream
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Carbon – Sidebar menu
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Carbon – Settings
Usefulness:
If you’re a Twitter fan this is definitely one to try out. On the usefulness rating it’s not quite at the level of more established clients but if you value nice design and smooth UIs, this might be enough to oust whatever app you might already be using. However, there are little things the app lacks as detailed above which may mean you might want to hold off using Carbon for Twitter until these things are resolved.
Ease of Use:
Once you have worked out the navigation (it’s not hard but does take a little time to explore and get used to), the app is very easy to use. Immediately though it is perhaps not as intuitive as other clients. While it’s not as complicated as Slices, it is perhaps not as immediate as Falcon.
Frequently Used:
This will depend very much on the individual user and how often they connect and share via Twitter. The app currently lacks a homescreen widget which might limit usage further- especially if this is a critical feature for you.
Interface:
The interface is, I think, the nicest and most impressive of all Twitter clients, edging over Falcon just slightly. The dark palette, smooth transitions and several cool effects makes it an utter joy to use and visually very impressive.
Tags:
Android App,
Android Apps,
AndroidTapp.com App Review,
Carbon for Twitter,
Falcon,
Slices,
Social Networking,
Twitter,
Twitter App
Categorised in: Social
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