Evernote updates contact app to fix first-version flaws

Every phone has a contact list, but how useful is it? According to Evernote chief executive officer Phil Libin, not very useful at all.

Now Evernote has updated its contact manager, Evernote Hello, in an effort to put those contact lists out of business.

Evernote’s answer to the standard address book is a photo-based contact app for the iPhone, which organizes contacts “visually, chronologically and contextually.” The app got some major updates today that may help it kill the contact list once and for all.

Hello was released in December 2011 and didn’t take off well. The app’s original design encouraged you to hand your phone over to the person you just met to enter their contact info. Most people found this to be too invasive. In fact, it encountered criticism for being awkward and unsanitary.

Evernote clearly heard the critique and rolled out some updates to make it more enticing. Now, you have the choice to enter someone’s information and take their photo yourself or give the phone to the person you just met. Evernote also added a much desired feature, the option to add a new contact from your phone’s address book to Evernote Hello. You can also do the opposite and add an Evernote Hello contact to your address book with the app’s new Contact Links.

With these updates, the app has gotten smarter. It will now determine your location and language to figure out how names should be displayed, based on the cultural standard. In addition, Hello now supports 17 languages. The app also got a few visual tweaks, including full screen photos, calendar tiles, and a new settings menu.

We’re guessing it won’t kill your address book anytime soon, but Hello is a much more visual and intuitive way of remembering people. I personally can’t wait for the Android version. Check out the video below for Libin’s walk-through of the new features.