Twinkle is a very capable Twitter client in its own right, and while it isn't quite as fully featured as Twitterific, it does have some features Twitterific doesn't have, including the ability to follow new users right from the application.

Unlike Twitterific, though, Twinkle does not have a built-in browser, so clicking on a URL closes the application and takes you to Safari instead.

You can also attach a picture to your own messages, but doing so crashed my phone twice in a row before it finally worked. Once it worked, the picture was uploaded to Tapulous' Twinkle page and added to the tweet as a link shortened by snipurl. Twinkle users don't have to click on the URL, but can see the picture right in the application.

Location Aware, but for Twinkle Users Only

One limitation of Twinkle, however, is that it is only aware of other Twinkle users in your vicinity and does not display tweets from 'regular' Twitter users in the location aware part of the app. As such, the application will only become really useful once more people start using it as their default client.

One more Twinkle only feature is, strangely, your profile picture. For some reason, the location aware part of Twinkle does not display your regular Twitter profile picture. Instead, you have to set one specifically for Twinkle.

Verdict

Besides that the user interface could be a bit snappier at times, Twinkle is a very cool addition to the growing pool of iPhone Twitter clients. It's also a great way to discover local Twitter users you might not have been following yet.

The authors also clearly have a sense of humor: when Twitter fails to respond to its update requests, the app displays a little warning sign with a whale tail in it.