Ever since Hipstamatic released their Oggl software for Windows Phone, the photography app has been growing steadily more and more reliable with each update. However, there is still one area that the app is lacking in and that is in support for non-Lumia devices, specifically the HTC 8X and 8XT.
It’s not uncommon to read in reviews for the app that 8X users have issues e.g. “restarts my HTC 8X (GDR2) every time I open it” or when it doesn’t crash, photos come out as “blue squares”. We personally haven’t loaded up Oggl on our 8X but it’s clear that there are lingering issues there for users.
In the Windows Phone Central forums, an answer may have come forward: it’s a software issue with the 8XT. In a response from the Oggl staff, who got in touch with their tech team, Hipstamatic lays the problem at HTC’s feet:
“Just wanted to let you know that I got an email back from the tech support team. It explains why the app isn’t working for you. They noted that the HTC phones are missing a piece of software that’s needed for Oggl to properly process images. It’s not something that they’re going to be able to fix. So unfortunately we won’t be offering Oggl for HTC phones going forward. I apologize for that. I know that’s not the answer you were hoping for. But hopefully that info helps explain the situation.”
Normally we’re a bit skeptical of service reps, but the Hipstamatic team is small enough that corporate bureaucracy won’t get in the way, so we’re leaning on this as a viable explanation.
It’s not a 100% clear if Hipstamatic mean all HTC Windows Phone 8 devices, including the 8X, 8S and 8XT (Sprint), but it sure sounds like it. The HTC 8X(T) series famously has a dedicated image chip that enables very fast processing of photos and works with HTC’s sensor and setup. Unfortunately, having a proprietary system like that may mean that certain types of software may have issues and evidently that is what is happening here.
Do you have an HTC 8X or 8XT and have you tried Oggl? Let us know your results in comments.
Source: Windows Phone Central Forums; Thanks, Jason, for the tip
