The latest development in the on-going saga of Instagram on Windows Phone is the release of third party client Winstagram, which allows you to upload "as many images as you want" to the social photo sharing service. The app is currently a bare-bones image uploader, without any of the photo browsing and social features that have made the app so popular on Android and iOS, but is notable in that it works for both Windows Phone 7.5 and Windows Phone 8.

The description for the app in the Windows Phone Store does note that a "full Instagram client [is] coming soon", suggesting that additional featues will be added to the app at a future date, which would make the app more competitive. However, with Instagraph already in the Windows Phone Store, other third party clients on the horizon, and the ever-present possibility of an official app release, consumers will want to carefully consider their options before reaching any decision about which Instagram app, if any, to download.

So what are the chances of an official Instgram client release? There's been no change since the last time we discussed this topic, although the potential release date has gotten closer:

And what about an official Instagram app? Well, some rumours suggest that it might not be far off. Unconfirmed sources, claiming to be close to Microsoft, suggest that an app has been developed, but that it is subject to approval by Instagram. Nokia's upcoming event on May 14th might be worth keeping an eye on, but for now there's still no official world on the arrival on an official Instagram app, leaving plenty of room for third party alternatives.

We'll keep you posted on any developments as they happen.

As we've previously explained Instagram's official API only allows read-only access to the service. It is not possible to upload photos, or register a new user, using the publicly documented Instagram APIs. Winstagram is likely using undocumented, non-public APIs, which means the longevity of the app can not be guaranteed.

As we explained in an early post about Itsdagram, another third party Instagram client:

That's because using these non-public APIs in a third party app is a clear violation of Instagram's terms of service. The app almost certainly breaks section 10 of Instagram's terms of service ("you must not access Instagram's private API by means other than those permitted by Instagram") and will likely also in violation of section 2 of Instagram API's terms of sevice ("you shall not use Instagram APIs for any application that replicates or attempts to replace the essential user experience of Instagram.com or the Instagram iPhone App"). Theoretically, this could lead to the suspension or deletion of an account that uses such an app, although in practise this is unlikely.

It's more likely that Instagram would seek to block such an app. It could do this by changing the API, but this approach is relatively unlikely, given the impact it would have on existing installations of the official app on other platforms. However, there are other avenues open to Instagram, including legal action, and traditionally Instagram has been aggressive in maintaining a policy of only allowing the official apps write access to the service. The most likely scenario? Instagram will ask Microsoft to pull the app from the Windows Phone Store.

This means you would be using the app at your own risk and there's no guarantee it will available in the long term. However, provided you are aware of the situation before purchasing the app, there's no real cause for complaint, at least from a consumer viewpoint. 

Windows Phone Store description:

Instagram image uploader for Windows Phone.

Upload as many images as you want.

Full Instagram client coming soon...

Winstagram can be downloaded from the Windows Phone Store. No trial is available and the app costs £1.49 / $1.99 / €1.99.