Despite the billion dollar price tag, I don't think Instagram (or many of these proprietary, non-unique but popular social media outlets) has staying power, its success is built on a standard trend dynamic but without standalone appeal. The only reason its popular is because kids tell us so, not on its own merit. At its core, it should be a feature of Facebook ... not its own software. Which is probably why Zuckerberg bought it. I don't care what he claims about growing the app independently Facebook is looking for new ways to keep THEIR product relevant in the social space and if 6, 18 or 24 months from now that means integrating Instagram then that's exactly what he'll do.
IMO, Windows Phone solves a problem that doesn't *quite* exist yet ... the app bubble. Android and iOS have become reliant on hundreds of thousands of bits and pieces of fractured software. Its like needing an app to get out a pot, but another app to get the spaghetti, and another app to put the stove on. Windows Phone, to me, seems like a step in the right direction where all of that is part of one app called "cooking", perhaps part of a larger app called "life". The integration, seamless transitions, the reasons I bought the 8x. In that analogy by the way, Instagram is the salt. There is no unique benefit it just adds a teeny bit of flavor to something else. The standalone platform of the service doesn't even need to exist with Twitter and Facebook still omnipresent.
As soon as the kiddies latch onto some other new, hip photo sharing site/app and mom and dad start downloading it for their ancient iPhones, Zuckerberg will pull the shoot and integrate a hybrid version of Instagram into Facebook's core. And it'll be onto renting the next pointless, silly social sharing real estate that we're sure we can't live without. I wish I could fast forward to 2020 and see where Pinterest and Instagram and FlickR etc. end up, who survives, who dies and who gets gobbled up by Google or Walmart or maybe The United States, Inc.? :amaze: Will Facebook go the way of Myspace? Seems like anything is possible when the entire social industry is driven at the ground level by tweeners.
The point of this rant (which is clearly going to do nothing here) is that at worst not having Instagram takes away about 15% of the coolness of my Facebook participation, which is waning as of late anyway, I can live without it. In the grand scheme it really doesn't matter, this phone kicks ass with or without the social media flavor of the week. Shame more people don't realize this because I agree with the unfortunate sentiment here that WP8 probably needs this nonsense to grow its market share.