The L.A. Times Mark Milian has been watching Flickr stats like a hawk, but he says the spike in images uploaded by iPhone users is unclear. We think its pretty obvious: Unlike most cameras, the iPhone is internet-enabled, meaning shooters can share their pics just seconds after taking them. Combine that factor with the new iPhone 3GS improved 3.0-megapixel camera (up from 2 megapixels), which includes an auto-focus lens, and bam rapid growth. (Alex Dejong, a blind photographer, also praises the iPhone 3GS for its accessibility and quick uploading process.)
YouTube saw similar results about a month ago. A day after the launch of the iPhone 3GS, YouTube video uploads increased 400 percent, according to YouTube officials Dwipal Desai and Mia Quagliarello. They said the growth was likely tied to newer video-enabled phones on the market (including the iPhone), improvement of the upload flow and a new, streamlined process to share videos on social networks.
I can testify for my own spike in Flickr activity ever since purchasing an iPhone 3GS. When I owned the original iPhone, I wasnt uploading many photos because I felt the 2-megapixel camera sucked pretty hard. But ever since I upgraded to the iPhone 3GS, Ive ditched my 6-megapixel Fujifilm Finepix F30. Why? The F30s image quality is still slightly better, but the convenience of uploading straight to the internet supersedes that, and the photos taken with the iPhone 3GS look good enough.
Milian wonders if this is just a temporary victory for the iPhone, and whether the Rebel XTi will climb back up soon. It appears the two cameras are in a neck-and-neck battle, because as of this writing, the Rebel XTi is just barely in the lead again, according to Flickrs Camera Finder. Still, lets see how this pans out over the next few days.
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