Skip to main content

Best New Apps: Dark Sky

Best New Apps: Dark Sky

/

Cloud computing

Share this story

If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

dark sky
dark sky

Dark Sky has been around on the iPhone for almost a couple of years now, but the recent redesign for iOS 7 makes it worth a second look — even at the relatively steep price of $3.99. Its raison d'être is telling you what the precipitation is going to be down to your exact location and, more importantly, by the hour. That means it has the unenviable job of conveying a lot of information in a way you can quickly understand — and given the current state of weather apps, it has to look good. Though a few have offered some constructive criticism of the design choices, the overall aesthetic works as a nice example of how to redesign for iOS 7's general feel without dogmatically adhering to it. Most importantly, Dark Sky does what it sets out to do: give you shockingly accurate detail on exactly what's going to fall from the sky in the next hour or two.

Redesigned for iOS 7

Dark Sky splits its weather information up into a multipaned view. The central view gives you the current temperature and an animated chart of what the snowfall or rainfall will be — all of it is set on a translucent layer that overlays the map view. The map view, accessible on the left, is among the best you'll find in a weather app: it's big, fast, accurate, and it's actually kind of fun to zoom out and spin the globe around. There's also a panel for the "next 24 hours" and a more standard week-long forecast all the way to the right, if you want to get to the more traditional weather app information.

There's no dearth of choices when it comes to weather apps and many less expensive choices, but Dark Sky will give you a better idea of whether you'll want galoshes and an umbrella. The $3.99 asking price is definitely cheaper than replacing a pair of ruined shoes. It's available on iTunes now.

More from this stream Best New Apps: must-have downloads for your phone, tablet, and more

See all 34 stories