B612 is a better Retrica

B612 is an app designed especially for talking selfies, and we think it should be the app you choose when you want them to look extra special.

I know, the name is hardly memorable unless you're a fan of The Little Prince, and I also know that selfies might be a bit 2014. Or even 2013? I digress. B612 is pretty similar toRetrica, another photo app that's taken app stores by storm, but don't be fooled by its popularity. There are plenty of reasons to dump Retrica and download B.. 6... something...?

Never mind what it's called: let's check out why it's better than Retrica.

B162 has more free filters

At time of publication Retrica (on the right, above) has over 100 filters, but many of them are premium features you have to pay for. Strip these away, and you're left with 55, where as B612 has 81 filters, and they are all free. It's not all good news, as B612 lacks the filter categories that you get with Retrica, so it may take more time to navigate around and learn which filters you really like. Luckily you can mark your favorites, so they are always to hand. We haven't seen much difference in terms of the quality of the filters, so there's really no advantage to Retrica here.

B612 has no ads

At least for now, there are no ads to spoil your peace in B612, nor are there in-app purchases. Retrica has both, and the ads especially get in the way of a smooth user experience. You can take more selfies more quickly with B612, as you are never interrupted by advertising. It's a no-brainer, unless you want to pay to remove ads in Retrica (a very reasonable $0.99).

Options

At first glance, B612 appears to have no options. To find them, you swipe up from the bottom of the screen. Here you can toggle location info, anti-shake, the B612watermark, and more. You can do pretty much the same in Retrica too, as well as upgrade to 'Pro'.



The options menu highlights another difference between the two apps. Retrica has buttons for everything, making it easy to understand from the start. B612 uses gestures for many things, and if you don't learn them, using the app is tricky. This is a shame, as once you 'get' B612, it's faster and more comfortable to use than Retrica.

B612 does video

When it comes to photos, the two apps are pretty similar, but B612 also lets you record short videos. Simply by tapping and holding your finger, you can record a short video selfie of 3 or 6 seconds. You can share it wherever you like, and even convert it into a GIF, which is pretty cool.

B612 - a selfie machine

As we've seen, in terms of features, both B612 and Retrica are pretty similar, except for videos. However, with its streamlined interface, B612 is quicker and you get more filters too. Touch the screen anywhere to take a selfie, instead of tapping a button, tap twice to delete, swipe left or right to flip through filters and swipe down to swap cameras. Once you've got the hang of the gestures, it's a breeze to use.

So, if you want to take flashy looking selfies that stand out, you could use Retrica, but we reckon B612 is better.

Download B612 for Android or iPhone and iPad

Download Retrica for Android or iPhone and iPad