Vimeo is releasing three apps today that bring its wonderful video-sharing community to Android, Windows Phone and Amazon’s Kindle Fire. While already on iOS, mobile devices surprisingly already make up approximately 15 percent of Vimeo’s current site traffic — these releases are sure to greatly boost that number.
I had the opportunity to sit down with the team and see each one for myself, and found the new suite of apps to be snappy and deeply integrated into each platform, with no signs of crashing, bugs, etc. Making mobile apps for an already beloved site is tough. The apps need to be perfect or else everything goes up in smoke, and Vimeo’s team seems to have done everything right.
According to Joe Schmitt, the lead mobile developer at Vimeo, people are using “their mobile devices not only to watch video but to shoot and then upload video to share online.” This will only continue to grow due to the “widespread accessibility of high-quality video on mobile devices and high-speed mobile Internet access.” Schmitt explains that Vimeo recognizes “the importance of expanding [its] platforms to allow people to access Vimeo from as many devices as possible.”
With an already attractive iOS version, it would be easy for Vimeo’s designers to simply port the app over to other platforms. But instead of forcing the Apple experience, Vimeo is pushing to create the best, unique interface for each platform, taking advantage of every nuance and standard to create a seamless experience for users. An iOS design simply isn’t meant for the Metro or Android UI, making a complete redesign necessary for each and every device.
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More from Vimeo:
Available today, both the Vimeo for Android and Vimeo for Windows Phone Apps enable users to browse and watch the full range of videos on Vimeo, in addition to the ability to like, comment on, or add videos to their Watch Later queue. Personalized access to member’s Inbox, Watch Later list or prior Liked videos is also available in the new beautiful, easy-to-use interfaces.
Expect more to come from Vimeo in the near future, including a brand new iPad and iPhone app, along with other surprises. Also, keep your eye out for the Vimeo Festival + Awards, which is still accepting submissions until February 20th.
➤ Vimeo, via the Android Market and Amazon (Windows link coming soon)
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