Do we really need another mobile check-in app? Newly launched startup Quipster seems to think so. The startup is launching a location based social network for the iPhone that allows users to share their experiences and comments by checking into both locations and icons on the go.
Users can post their quips on Facebook, Twitter, and check in on Foursquare. The focus of the app is to share check-ins but also see recommendations of what to do in a city or town, and access contextual information about locations. Via the app, you can see live ‘quips’ from people around you, access other locations that people have quipped about, and more. You can also select an icon when you check-into a location that represents where you are checking into, i.e. ‘House Party,’ ‘Five Star Restaurant.’ ‘Cheap Eat.’
The more your Quip, and the more people like and follow your Quips, the higher your title and rank will be on the network.
While the idea of giving users additional context behind a location (such as Yelp reviews, recommendations, deals and more) is appealing, I’m not sure how Quipster is any different from some of the other check-in apps that are out there. Loopt, Foursquare, Gowalla and many others offer much of this functionality and have already been on the market for years. Quipster may have to find a more original angle in order to differentiate itself in the sea of check-in apps.