Flickr launches a new app on the Samsung Gear VR, allowing users to immerse themselves into the 360-degree photos that the image repository has to offer.
The Flickr community has uploaded tens of thousands of 360-degree photos, where the current library consists of more than 14,000 "equirectangular" images. With the new app, the company simply gives users the ability to dive into those images and feel like they're transported to someplace else at a tap of a button.
Needless to say, the app requires a Samsung handset that's compatible with the Gear VR, including the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S6 Edge Plus, Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note 5.
According to the company, it sets itself apart from others because it preserves the quality of uploaded images, making it the "best platform for 360-degree photos."
"[W]e respect the image quality of uploaded photos, and we want to be one of the best ways to access engaging virtual reality experiences," Flickr says.
When the Flickr app is opened, it will bring up a carousel of the top-curated 360-degree photos. Users will be able to choose from an assortment of images, taking their pick of choice of which time or place they'd like to be transported to — not in the literal sense, of course, but one of the closest ways to do so by far.
To get a better idea of how the 360-degree images would look like, explore the selection of VR photos on Flickr's dedicated VR page, ranging from the Aurora Borealis to the Horseshoe Bend of the Colorado River.
Just recently, Samsung rolled out a web browser for the Gear VR, calling it Samsung Internet for Gear VR. With all the VR apps coming to the headset, it seems that the South Korea-based company is really stepping up its game in the virtual reality scene.
The new Flickr app for the Samsung Gear VR is now available for download on the Oculus Store.
