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Can’t Use Apple’s Panoramic Feature On Your iPhone? Try Out These Alternatives

Can’t Use Apple’s Panoramic Feature On Your iPhone? Try Out These Alternatives

September 26, 2012
One of the new features of iOS 6 is Camera with Panorama. Unfortunately, this only works on the iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, and iPod touch (fifth generation). But don’t worry, there are some alternative apps that will get the job done on older iOS devices. In fact, it's possible to take 360 degree photos which are even better than the results you'd get from Apple's own product. In other words, these apps work great on any iOS device.

360 Panorama

One of the most popular apps for this purpose remains 360 Panorama, which burst onto the scene in 2010 soon after Apple’s introduction of the iPhone 4. Priced at $0.99, the universal app automatically stitches together photos giving you a GPS-tagged panorama. As its title suggests, the app offers 360-degree views of the world. On this point, the folks at Occipital have Apple beat since Camera with Panorama only offers up to 240-degree views. Features include:
  • Unbeatable speed: Taps into the raw power of your device to stitch panoramas in realtime.
  • Magical gyro viewing: Use your gyroscope to interact — look around in 360 degrees.
  • Never forget a location: Every panorama is GPS tagged, complete with a compass heading.
  • Share online: Shared panoramas can be viewed on any computer or device. App not required!
  • Post on Facebook: Post 360 views on your wall or send to a photo album — all from the app.
  • Tweet in 360: Share jaw-dropping scenes your friends can view anywhere, even inside their Twitter app.
  • Email 360 views: Say “wish you were here” in a whole new way.
Compatible with: iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (fourth generation), iPod touch (fifth generation), iPad 2 Wi-Fi, iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G, iPad (third generation) and iPad Wi-Fi + 4G. Requires iOS 4.0 or later.

Panorama 360 Camera

Panorama 360
Panorama 360
Created by Go2Share, the $0.99 Panorama 360 Camera app is universal. Best of all, panoramic photos are taken with only one shot, thanks to the use of the iOS device's gyroscope auto shutter feature. Like 360 Panorama, this app includes 360-degree photo-taking. Features include:
  • Adjusting the lans curvature.
  • White Balance/Brightness Lock to reduce difference for frames
  • Good for both INDOOR and OUTDOOR
  • Fast/Auto shutter, easy and Quick
  • Accelerometer supported
  • Gyroscope auto shutter (iPhone4/iPhone4s/iPad2/The New iPad only)
  • Very high resolution (360/High Resolution mode: 11453x1920 for The New iPad, 11453x1280
  • for IP4/IP4s/iPad2, 5720x640 for IP 3GS)
  • Recommended shooting distance: >2M
  • Recommended avoid large areas of walls and sky(Low contrast background)
  • Flash Light(iPhone4 and iPhone4s only) Supported
  • 3D view interface
  • Landscape and Portrait supported
  • Universal supported (ipad2 and New iPad tested)
Compatible with: iPhone, iPod touch (fourth generation), iPod touch (fifth generation), iPad 2 Wi-Fi, iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G, iPad (third generation) and iPad Wi-Fi + 4G. Requires iOS 4.1 or later.

Photosynth

Microsoft’s Photosynth app remains one of the most popular in the App Store and for good reason. The free app includes interactive capture and full-sphere panoramas. You can also view other panoramas through the Best of Bing Maps feature. Besides, it is so easy to use -- just point your camera and start panning slowly. You are not just limited to left and right -- you can pan up and down as well to capture the entire scene. You can crop and share your panoramic creation from right inside the app, or save it to your camera roll. Features include:
  • See your panoramas take shape as you capture them with INTERACTIVE CAPTURE
  • Look and capture in all directions with FULL-SPHERE PANORAMAS
  • See the final panorama right away with fast ON-DEVICE PROCESSING
  • Sharp, seamless results with the ADVANCED IMAGE STITCHING ENGINE
  • Panoramas are always available to view and share from the ON-DEVICE LIBRARY
  • Explore the world’s best panoramas every day with BEST OF BING MAPS
  • Zoom, pan, and rotate your panorama in any direction with our IMMERSIVE VIEWER
  • Save your panoramas to the cloud and view them online at PHOTOSYNTH.NET
Sharing:
  • Share to Facebook or Twitter with images or interactive panoramas
  • Share to Bing Maps to see your panoramas throughout Bing
  • Share to Email to send images of your panoramas directly to friends
  • Your panorama images are available to any app from the Camera Roll
  • Best of Bing Maps – See the very best panoramas from around the world (and share your own!)
Compatible with: iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (fourth generation), iPod touch (fifth generation), iPad 2 Wi-Fi, iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G, iPad (third generation) and iPad Wi-Fi + 4G. Requires iOS 4.2 or later.

AutoStitch Panorama

Recently updated for iOS 6, the $1.99 AutoStitch Panorama app generates wide-angle panoramas of up to 18 megapixels, with no visible seams. Plus, you can stitch photos in any order or arrangement, including vertical, horizontal, or mixed. Features include:
  • Simple and intuitive interface. Just snap overlapping images and tap "Stitch"
  • Highest quality and resolution available on the app store (up to 18 megapixels!)
  • Stitch any number from 2 to 40 or more images, in any arrangement
  • Stitch photos that were taken with any camera app
  • Crop the result with automatic or manual cropping
  • Share your creations via email, Facebook, or Twitter
Compatible with: iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 4.3 or later. While you can't go wrong with any of these choices, we highly recommend 360 Panorama and Panorama 360 Camera since they both offer 360-degree functionality. You should also check out two previous reports, Best Panoramic Photos Apps and How To Use Panorama Camera Mode.

Mentioned apps

Free
Photosynth
Photosynth
Microsoft Corporation
$0.99
360 Panorama
360 Panorama
Occipital
$0.99
Panorama 360 Camera
Panorama 360 Camera
Go2Share
$1.99
AutoStitch Panorama
AutoStitch Panorama
Cloudburst Research

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