Oilist
Turn your photos into paintings $2.99 Developer 3DTOPO, 3dtopo.com Platform Universal Requirements iOS 8.2 or later The App Store isn’t exactly short of photo-filtering apps, but Oilist offers something a little different: 4K-ready images based on famous painting styles. Unlike a lot of apps it doesn’t generate the same result each time, and watching it work its magic on your photos is undeniably hypnotic.
It’s also undeniably hot. Our iPhone 7 Plus started feeling warm to the touch within a minute of opening the app, and within five minutes it felt extremely warm through its protective plastic case. The battery meter was almost as hypnotic as the app: Turning a picture into an oil painting depleted the Plus’s battery rather rapidly, the percentage dropping by one every 45 seconds or so. This is not an app you’ll want to use when you’re far from a power socket.
The results are interesting, if a little patchy – landscapes and objects look great, but faces aren’t quite so impressive. It pays to play around with the various options, though; Oilist is an app that rewards experimentation, and you’ll often stumble across a really great effect you didn’t know you wanted. While the app continues to refine the picture as long as it’s open, you can save a 4K still to your Camera Roll at any time.
Oilist isn’t a must-have, but it’s still interesting and can produce some beautiful results. Just don’t forget to take your charger with you.
The bottom line An interesting and often mesmerizing app, but it’s a serious battery hog. Gary Marshall GOOD