Just after its proposed $1 billion acquisition of mobile photo sharing service Instagram, Facebook announced Facebook Camera for iPhone in a blog post this afternoon. The app features filters just like Instagram, and it has the ability to upload a batch of photos at once. The regular Facebook app only allows you to upload one photo at a time. Upon first opening Camera, it detects any Facebook accounts already associated with the iPhone, so you can upload photos immediately. Facebook Camera for iOS is now available on the iTunes App Store.

As you can tell from the screenshots of the app in the gallery below, it reminds us a lot of Instagram. There is also the ability to view your friend’s photos in a single timeline. Complete with filters and quick-sharing options, it is almost as if Facebook launched a competitor to its own app.

Here is the full breakdown of features:

  • Post multiple photos from your camera roll at a time
  • Crop and apply filters to give your photos a new look
  • Scroll down a single feed of all your friends’ photos
  • Tag your friends, add photo captions and say where you are
  • See photos from the different apps your friends use

(First reported by The Verge)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=tVlNuIKzzs0#]

Facebook explained why you need location turned on: