The free version of Lightroom 2.0 available for iOS since October has company now, as Adobe just released Lightroom for Android version 1.4, a kind of Christmas gift for Android users.
Both versions offer the ability to use Lightroom for mobile without a paid subscription, meaning that anyone can take advantage of the organizational, editing, and sharing abilities that Lightroom for mobile offers. Adobe decided, they say, to do the same for Android as they did for iOS, because the response to the initial offer was phenomenal.
Free stuff always has that effect on people, I guess, and even more so a software with the name Lightroom attached to it. I have Adobe Photoshop Express on my smartphone, although I rarely use it – or use the phone to take meaningful pictures – but because it was free I downloaded the app. Unfortunately, I cannot try Lightroom, as Windows Phone users do not have access to a free version of Lightroom, as of yet. And probably never.
Anyway, this free Lightroom is, no doubt, a marketing tool, as it will get more people in touch with the tools from Adobe, even if through a smartphone. It’s only a step away from going into a subscription model or at least try it, as it extends the options available beyond the smartphone universe. In fact, for those already with a Creative Cloud subscription, this app makes complete sense, as it adds the ability to synchronize files and edits with Lightroom on a desktop or laptop, as well as with Lightroom Web.
On a blog post, the team behind Lightroom says that “we’re really excited to continue our focus on Android and pleased that Lightroom for mobile was recently listed by Google as one of the top apps of 2015. We’ve seen Android grow as a platform over the years, with billions of users around the world. As a photography platform, Android is making huge leaps and strides. New devices are being launched all the time with better and better cameras, and with the launch of Lollipop and the ability to shoot raw DNG files, Android provides one of the most powerful photography platforms available“.
Lightroom for Android supports raw DNG workflows making it possible to enhance images and take full advantage of all of the quality and details found in images captured on Android devices, continues the team, adding that “we’re committed to making Lightroom Mobile for Android better and better and can’t wait to share some of the improvements we’re working on. Keep checking back with us, but for now, download Lightroom Mobile for Android 1.4 !
Meanwhile, be warned that there seem to be some problems with logging in in all the versions of Adobe Lightroom for Android smartphones. Adobe was alerted by users to the bug in October, and replied that it was a known issue, but is still working to solve the problem.