Ultra Contact Makes Communication Faster And Easier Than Before
Ultra Contact ($1.99) by Kevin Fingster is an app that aims to replace the stock iOS contact app. Unlike Apple's standard app, Ultra Contact has a variety of one-touch features that allow users to get in contact with people faster.
Ultra Contact's main advantage over the Apple app is its one touch communication. In the standard contact app users must complete several steps to send a message or make a phone call. They have to find the contact, open their profile, select an option (e.g. text, call, email) before actually completing the desired task. Ultra Contact eliminates two of these steps. Next to each name in the phone book icons appear for messaging, calling, or emailing. Users just tap on the icon for the desired method of communication. If the contact selected has multiple phone numbers or email addresses, a small cutout appears for users to select the number they want. This process is much faster than the traditional app.
Ultra Contact also allows users to create different groups of contacts. To add a group, tap on the gear icon in the top left corner. Type in the desired group name, and then add the appropriate members. Tap on the person icon to return to the entire contact list. Users can create an unlimited number of groups. Created groups are displayed in the white toolbar across the top of the screen. When additional groups are created, the toolbar expands and can be scrolled across horizontally.
One issue I had with the group creation is actually tapping the gear icon. It is placed extremely close to the information icon and I accidentally accessed the information screen many times before finally creating a group. This was very frustrating, and hopefully one of these icons will be moved in a future update for easier access.
The other problem was figuring out how to add contacts into the group. After creating the group and having it selected, users must use the "Add New" button at the bottom of the screen to add group members. This was initially confusing because the same button appeared in the overall contact list and was used only to create a new contact. This issue could be fixed by renaming the button in the group view, or by adding instructions to the app. As it is, the info menu is just a link to advertising the other apps by the developer.
Aside from functionality, Ultra Contact is much more visually appealing than the standard contact app; it utilizes a more colorful approach. Instead of a bland gray scale scheme, this app has wood finished borders and different colored icons. Ultra Contact also displays the photo of the person next to their name in the contact list. The only issue I had with the appearance was the varying text sizes of contact names. Whenever a contact's name was longer than 12 or 13 characters, the text size was reduced for it to fit. This may sound like a good idea, but it makes the names look very sloppy and takes away from the app’s visual appeal.
Overall, Ultra Contact can be a useful app. It has plenty of good features but falls short in some of its functionality. Ultra Contact does have a lot of potential, with a few minor tweaks it can be a great contact app. If you are dissatisfied with the standard iOS contact app, then be sure to look for Ultra Contact in the App Store.
