Instagram for Android gets tablet support (but only slightly better than iPad)

Android tablet users can now get their hands on the hot photo sharing app Instagram, though the experience appears to be only slightly better than what iPad users currently have. This app comes just a few days after Instagram launched its Android phone app.

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On tablets, the updated Instagram Android app runs an upscaled version of the Android phone interface, reports the Verge, which tested the app on an Asus Transformer Prime. Instagram runs at the tablet’s native resolution, which means the picture quality is better than on the iPad, which simply doubles the resolution of the iPhone Instagram app.

While all versions of the iPad can run iPhone apps, the upscaling process was notoriously ugly on the iPad 1 and 2 . On the new iPad, upscaled iPhone apps look much smoother, although they’re still no replacement for apps built specifically for the tablet.

The Instagram Android update also adds support for WiFi-only devices like Samsung’s Galaxy Play.

Now that Instagram has broad coverage on Android, I suspect the company is going to focus its efforts on a real iPad app. Given the iPad’s larger screen and the latest model’s crazy high resolution, a tricked out Instagram iPad app could be killer.

San Francisco-based Instagram has raised $7 million in funding so far and has just passed 30 million users. It’s now rumored to be working on a $50 million round at a $500 million valuation.