Partiko website:
Android download: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=io.partiko.android
iOS download: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/partiko/id1401033260?mt=8
From the very beginning, I was hoping that a talented developer would create a fast, responsive mobile app for the Steem blockchain. That day appears to be here with the Partiko dApp, finally.
Most people on social media use their smartphones to browse and post, so it’s a no-brainer to have an exceptionally fast mobile dApp for Steem. I am really surprised that this didn’t happen sooner. There were a few attempts at creating a fast, responsive dApp, but the user experience was pretty poor with the several attempts so far. I tried a few of them, then kind of gave up, because I came to believe that it wasn’t possible to build a fast mobile dApp with a blockchain. I was wrong in this regard. It is possible to build a fast mobile dApp on the Steem blockchain, and Partiko proves that.
After using Partiko for the first time yesterday here is my review, along with scores for various categories and a section for desired improvements. I used a 1-10 rating system, with 10 being the best.
Full Disclaimer: I used my alt account @umami to do the testing because I am always quite cautious when using new apps for the first time.
DESIGN: 10
The dApp uses a minimal design style which is very attractive and simple. This style is consistent with modern design aesthetics which basically express the idea that less is more. Most successful brands now employ a simple and modern design scheme. Partiko follows this trend, therefore, it has received a 10 in this category.
NAME: 7
Although Partiko is not a bad name, it also doesn’t sound great. The name Partiko is somewhat hard to remember. Partiko doesn’t sound in any way related to Steem, and therefore, I give it a 7.
USABILITY: 9
This dApp is incredibly easy to use and intuitive. You can tell the programmers had users in mind when they built this dApp because everything that Partiko does is related to ease of use. Pressing the buttons works well and it’s easy to post with the dApp.
SPEED/RESPONSIVENESS: 10
Partiko’s speed is amazing. It’s so easy to switch between browsing, posting, liking and commenting, and the overall experience is seamless. I didn’t experience any lags at all. Incredible speed. It is as fast as Instagram or Twitter.
FUNCTIONS: 9
The search function is Partiko’s best feature. You can type in anything in the search bar and it will bring up either account names or blog posts that contain the search query. Also, one other great aspect is when you click on a user, a tab opens up asking if you want to visit their website. This was a really great surprise feature. Also, you can use a vote slider to give a percentage of your upvote instead of the entire thing. I would have given this a 10 except I would like to be able to see the list of followers, and so far this is not contained in the dApp.
I also want to mention a few additional details about the creator of Partiko. I learned that the reason this dApp is so fast is that the programmers wrote these dApps in native Android and iOS programming languages. Sida explained that this is the reason that Partiko is faster than other apps. Also, it’s interesting to know that Sida is an AirBNB programmer, and this dApp is his side project. I think that explains why Partiko doesn’t take any profit for itself. A lot of apps on Steem take a certain percentage of the author rewards for their own profit. Partiko doesn’t take any, and this makes it a really good community project.
FEATURES I’D LIKE TO SEE IMPLEMENTED
The only features missing that i really wanted in Partiko was the ability to see follower lists by clicking on the words “followers” and “following”. Right now, those words are not clickable, so you can’t view anyone’s followers, not even your own. It would be good to add this feature in the future. Other than that, I am very happy with the features so far.
Special thanks to Sida for building this great dApp for the Steem blockchain. We appreciate your work. It looks like there’s an influencer program as well for Partiko, but I wasn’t sure how that worked. Maybe a tutorial is in order for people who want to get involved with that aspect.
Videos used for this review:
