Tweetbot was one of the most recognizable apps on the App Store. An unmistakeable visual style from developer Tapbots and a keen acknowledgement of the power of gestures well before iOS 7 hit the market made it one of the most popular third-party Twitter clients to date.
The team is back with Tweetbot 3, a completely redesigned app that is being sold separately from its predecessor. While they likely would have wanted to charge for an upgrade to the existing app so as not to confuse people, Apple doesn’t allow paid updates to existing apps, so releasing it as a standalone was their only option.
Some will argue that $2.99 is a lot of money to pay for an app that you already paid for. Except that this isn’t that app. Tweetbot 3 is completely redesigned, and in doing so has lost a modicum of the magic and flair that made it so recognizable. It certainly functions like the Tweetbot we know: swipe right to left on any Tweet to bring up the conversation view; tap once on the Tweet to bring up the reply or RT options; hold down on a Tweet to see miscellany like “Copy Tweet” and others.
But due to the black-text-on-flat-white-background nature of many iOS 7-based apps, Tweetbot 3 looks extremely similar to the official Twitter account, at least on the surface. Dig in a little bit and you’ll see delightful visual touches, like the malleable animations on photos, which you “throw away” with panache when finished. The sounds which made Tweetbot so unique are still here, too, improved and modernized for the latest generation.
One of the best features that I don’t believe any other Twitter app possesses is that ability to follow a link from the timeline and still have access to your Mention, DM and other tertiary columns. Unlike the official Twitter for iOS app, you’re not forced to return to your feed to view incoming mentions. It’s a small but notable improvement over the official app.
Of course, Tweetbot 3 maintains much of the original’s functionality, including timeline sync and mute filters. It’s also possible to save articles to Apple’s Reading List, which can later be read in the Safari browser on the iPhone, iPad or desktop.
Tweetbot 3 has found a good balance between old soul and new heart. It works well with iOS 7 because it incorporates a truly clean UI that gets out of your way. At the same time, there are some delightful flourishes that make it well worth the $2.99 cost.
[source]App Store[/source]
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