When Dispo opened its beta launch last month, it got much more attention than its development team anticipated. It took zero time at all for Dispo to reach its test limit of 10,000 users.
Surely with Dispo’s latest announcement, it won’t be too long until the userbase grows much, much larger.
You Can Now Join Dispo Without an Invite
You no longer have to poke your friends for an invite to Dispo. The metaphorical bouncer isn’t guarding the entrance anymore! Yesterday afternoon, Dispo let everyone know on Twitter that you can now download and use the app for free.
Goodbye waitlist 👋 You no longer need an invite to join Dispo — just hit the link in bio and you’re in. See you there!
— Dispo (@DispoHQ) March 9, 2021
Download: Dispo for iOS (Free)
At the time of writing, Dispo is the ninth most popular app in the Photo and Video category of the US App Store. While there are people that appreciate the nostalgia it brings, clearly not everyone is content with its limited features.
Most of Dispo’s reviews right now sport a rating of either one or five stars, so it averages out at 2.8/5.0 overall.
What Is Dispo?
Dispo is a camera app founded by former-Viner-turned-YouTuber David Dobrik. It hopes to emulate the feeling of using an old-school disposable camera. No wide selection of live camera effects here—just a view finder, zoom controls, and the option for flash.
You can take as many photos as you like in Dispo, but they won’t be readily available. You’ll have to wait until they’re finished “developing” at 9am the following day. Of course, the app applies a simple filter to simulate the warm tint and soft vignette a disposable tends to give its snapshots.
Dispo’s main focus is undoubtedly the photos, as the app lacks in social features. You can follow people, as well as like and comment on their pictures, but you can’t send any messages, tag people in photos, or put captions.
This design choice is certainly the reason why users have polar opposite opinions. Dispo’s simplicity is what sets it apart from its contemporaries, but is also what makes some phone photographers delete the app soon after downloading.
Don’t let all the one star reviews fool you, though. Dispo is plenty successful.
Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian helped Dispo raised $4 million in seed funding with his venture capital fund, Seven Seven Six. This eventually led to celebrities like Sofia Vergara and The Chainsmokers investing too, and The Information says that the app might have attracted a $100 million valuation.
Does Dispo Appeal to You?
We imagine that most of Dispo’s fanbase is composed of millennials and zoomers. It’s a little easier to be appreciative of what Dispo is trying to do if you grew up with the very hardware it’s trying to replicate.
Alternatively, you can check out our list of vintage iPhone film camera apps worth using.
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