As successful as Sports Illustrated has been, the magazine’s annual swimsuit issue has taken on a life of its own since debuting in 1964. Last week’s release of the SI Swimsuit 2010 iPhone app (Free, though you can buy a $1.99 upgrade) marks the second straight year the issue has come to the iPhone, and I promise I’ll try not to make a “best looking app” joke.
Swimsuit 2009 was well received by many iPhone app users, which is no surprise, as it turns out men like bikini models not only in magazines, but on their iPhone as well. But despite its predecessor’s success, Swimsuit 2010 includes a few changes.
The iPhone app’s design is different, though it’s not a drastic change. The photos are divided into different categories such as “Top Models” (including this year’s cover model Brooklyn Decker), “Rookies,” “Bodypainting,” “Olympians” and “The Women of ‘Dancing With The Stars.'”.Serbian tennis star Ana Ivanovic also gets her own section in the iPhone app.
The major difference between the iPhone app and the magazine issue is the inclusion of videos, which like the photos are divided into categories. All told, there are 40-plus videos and nearly 90 minutes of footage.
But the big change this year is that the iPhone app is free – sort of. Last year’s release cost $2.99, while this year’s includes a limited number of pictures and videos with a $1.99 upgrade price.
Making users purchase content will always cause at least a small uproar, but I can see the different sides of this argument. Just know that the initial download is essentially a lite version, and that if you want anything that resembles a full iPhone app, you’re going to have to pay for it.
Aside from that, there’s really nothing to complain about with SI Swimsuit 2010. If you’re looking for an iPhone app that’s full of lots of scantily-clad women, you’d be hard-pressed to find one better than this.
