I recently took a look at the various weather apps for iPhone (read the roundup here). Dark Sky was one of my absolute favorite apps, and today it gets even better. Despite already having the gold standard (in my opinion) of weather data, it now brings one of the best-looking apps to the table as well.
While I didn’t think the old app was bad, in hindsight, it was a little dated looking. The new version combines the current weather and forecast screen into one tab, which I love. These are the most used sections of the app for me, so it makes it even easier to use now.
The most noticeable change is the introduction of a new unified timeline. Rather than separating the forecast onto multiple pages, we now combine the current conditions, next hour rain forecast, next 24 hours, and next week forecasts into a single scrollable view that lets you quickly get to the part of the forecast you care about. This makes it much easier to scan what will happen in the minutes, hours, and days ahead.
You can view old vs. new in the image below. It’s much easier to watch the temperature trends and monitor the chance of rain.
From a design perspective, the light grey backgrounds are gone and replaced by white backgrounds. This version of Dark Sky is an excellent example of following iOS design trends while remaining true to your brand. The fonts are pleasant to look at, and it’s just a delight to use. The weather icons received an overhaul from The Iconfactory, and they are beautiful.
Another feature request from many users has also been answered: Saved Locations. I love to keep an eye on the weather in Athens, GA during football season. This new update allows me to swipe left to right to bounce from Chattanooga and Athens.
The notifications section has also been spruced up. There are still the daily summary and next hour precipitation alerts, and you can add alerts for wind, snow, feels-like temperature, UV index, snow, and humidity.
While this update doesn’t fundamentally change the app, I think it makes it one of the best designed weather apps on the App Store. Despite it feeling like the same app, all of the code has been overhauled, so the app should be faster and more stable. In my testing, it’s been great.
The update is free for existing users. If you haven’t tried Dark Sky yet, it can be downloaded from the App Store for $3.99.
Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news:
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Comments