Facebook Upgrade Photos With More Advanced Features

In a move that could mean trouble for Flickr, Facebook has announced the launch of a new Photos service which will feature major improvements to its Photos section. The latest upgrade will come with high resolution photos, bulk tagging options that makes it possible to upload individual or group images and tag friends via thumbnails. In addition, users will be able to use photo-download links and an elegant light-box interface for viewing images from anywhere on the social-networking Website.

While Facebook’s current Photo services is widely used as a way of capturing memories of places, people and events via small images and mobile snapshots by users, the new upgrade will see a totally different level of image-sharing, up to and including photography, modeling and graphic design portfolios. Furthermore, the upgrade will allow users upload photographs and download Jpeg files (through an on-site link) with resolution as high as 2048 pixels, substantially higher than the current 720 pixels.

However, because hosting high-resolution files is more expensive in terms of cost, server workload and usage, users will have to sacrifice an advert-free experience in exchange for the more advanced photo service. This is because Facebook still intend to use advertisements as a way of assisting the organisation in paying for and maintaining the new service.

Talking Point

With over 500 million registered Facebook users, do you think Flickrs domination of the photo-sharing market is under threat?