The Newly Updated Solar Is Quite Possibly The Coolest Weather App Under The Sun
July 27, 2012
By all accounts, Solar is the weather app of the moment. Its combination of minimalism and showmanship, in particular, has taken the world of weather app junkies by storm. But it is surely not without its flaws and omissions. Fortunately, Solar developer Hollr has issued an update addressing some, if not all, of them.
Dubbed "the Clear of weather apps," Solar offers an inestimably enjoyable way of learning about the weather, whether for now or later.
Using adaptable colorscapes reminiscent of Clear, it gives you a general idea of the weather even at a glance. Of course, it also displays the specific temperature reading and the overall weather condition.
No doubt, its most interesting feature is its minute-by-minute 24-hour forecast, which you can view by scrolling up the screen. A three-day forecast, complete with highs and lows and projected conditions, is also accessible by scrolling down.
If you can't see the video embedded above, please click here.
For all its elegance and ease of use, though, it appears to have had difficulty delivering what's most important: displaying the temperature accurately.
Hollr acknowledges this issue with its first ever update for Solar, which delivers improved temperature accuracy, among other enhancements.
In addition to this much-requested improvement, the update brings the following:
Designed for iPhone but also compatible with iPad, Solar is available in the App Store for the special introductory price of $0.99. Note that the app's full designation is Solar : Weather. Its original name was actually Solar - Weather has never been cooler. I have no idea why Hollr decided to drop the app's bold tagline. Regardless, I'm still of the mind that ascertaining the weather has never been cooler with Solar.
- Optional 'Feels Like' temperature that includes factors such as humidity, wind chill, etc.
- Improved location data and GPS accuracy
- Time and date adjusted for language support
- 24 hour clock support
- Default Celsius reading in non-US regions