App recommendation platform Kinetik gets a new look as it aims to become ‘Flipboard for apps’

Kinetik has released a new version of its free iOS app that emphasizes visual elements, the app recommendation startup announced today. According to its CEO, Raul Moreno, his ambition is to transform the platform into “a Flipboard for apps.”

While we were already fans of the app’s first version and web platform, the new mobile UI includes several improvements, such as highlighted prices. More generally, illustrations are now much bigger, which means the navigation is now mostly image-based, helping Kinetik to compete with similar apps such as Overlapps (see our previous article).

Here are a couple screenshots of the app’s new look:

Yet, there is more to this new release than meets the eye, Moreno tells us:

“We started Kinetik 2.0 from scratch, we completely re-designed and re-imagined Kinetik and App Stores. We did not want to do a Free-a-day or Deals app. There are many of those. More importantly, we believe Apple users are and will be guided by quality and craftsmanship, not by a dollar off. Most of our users care about quality and can pay $1 for an app they love – we know this because out of of the top 5 most loved apps, 3 are paid.”

Still, the app includes a Deals section that lets users find discounted apps, in addition to the highlighted prices we mentioned earlier:

Many of the features in Kinetik 2.0 are based on lessons the startup learned from Kinetik’s first version and following iterations, such as the fact that people don’t have much time to spend on sharing their favorite apps. This is why the team looks forward to iOS 6, which will help us discover new apps by showing us which ones our friends like.

The social aspect is a constant for the startup, as a solution to the overwhelming volume of apps available in the App Store. “Kinetik is about app recommendations from the people you care about, your friends, peers, and the press. We believe our social network can give you the best recommendations because it is a great information filter,” Moreno says.

One thing is for sure, Kinetik is one of the top Latin American startups to watch. As you may know, it was recently one of the nominees of TNW Argentina Startup Awards in the Best Mobile App category.

In addition, this NXTP Labs and Wayra alum is also one of the finalists of the Startup Battle that will take place during  TNW Conference Latin America in São Paulo on August 22 and 23. There is still time to buy a ticket – click here to register!

➤ Kinetik, via the App Store

Image credit: PhotoAtelier