Fantastical 2 Debuts on iPhone With Reminders and Improved Event Parser

[kcmac]

Excellent new version dev!

For those who think it doesn't fit in with the iOS 7 look you're dead wrong. The red is bright red, the white theme makes it feel more stock and all the little animations feel more like 7 than 6.

They've added plenty of new features (Reminders, directions for locations) and really tweaked how it works for the better.

The only thing it's still missing is showing empty days in the list (not just the calendar strip). That still screws me up when it hides the days that have nothing in them.

I like that they don't show days with nothing on them! Great feature for me anyway.

----------

tweetbot 3 is a complete redesign of the original app, not a superficial update. All new physics system, new animations, etc. It is not a reskin like you claim. Also, there is a reason for getting rid of triple tap, it actually makes the app faster, again contrary to your claims that navigation has slowed down. Sometimes you have to understand that with a new redesign, they can't always implement the same features as before in the same way, because they wouldn't make sense.

Tweetbot had to do this. The iOS 6 version while good was very foreign as an iOS6 design style. Would really have been out of place in 7. Fantastical's design fit better already. Heck, apple even semi-borrowed their scrolling day menu.

I was surprised Apple didn't go with the natural language input to iCal. This makes Fantastical stand out. I call it Magic Cal!

 

[firewood]

You also seem to have missed the part where I specifically said I wasn't crying calamity, just a bummer.

Bummer? Not to the app developers who are trying to keep paying the rent and put food on the table for their families by providing you with the opportunity to pay for new and/or improved apps.

Or would you rather these developers switch jobs to flippin' burgers or quant trading to earn a living instead?

Then you can choose from just the apps that Apple makes.

 

[ericg301]

meh. it's fun and fluid, but missing a lot of functions that week cal has had for years

- ability to link a contact to an event
- ability to save frequent events as templates
- a simple "day" view (yes i know turning the phone sideways....but it's not the same). for someone like me with a lot of appointments, agenda views aren't efficient. i prefer a day view where as a single glance instantly shows me what chunks of time are free and and what are available

 

[cmChimera]

Bummer? Not to the app developers who are trying to keep paying the rent and put food on the table for their families by providing you with the opportunity to pay for new and/or improved apps.

Or would you rather these developers switch jobs to flippin' burgers or quant trading to earn a living instead?

Then you can choose from just the apps that Apple makes.

I give up. I'm clearly a terrible, terrible person.

 

[mac98aop]

Anyone with an iPhone 4 updated?

So keen to update, but v1 on iOS7 on my iPhone 4 became too laggy to use.

Does this fix things for anyone on, ahem, 'older' hardware?!

 

[volcom883]

i have a few questions about this app;

-upon app launch can i have a month view? (from videos it looks you get week view)
-will the inputs synch with the mac os calendar and reminders?
-does it support birthday alarms from the contacts?
-which one shall i get fantastical 1 or 2? i dont care about new design. speed and use are my priority.

thanks
: )

btw, i hate the ios 7 calendar, i wonder if apple made it worse than before so that people spend money on these apps (if you think its a clever marketing trick)

 

[Batman89]

I never said the app should be free.

But you're complaining that you need to pay for it. Same difference much?

I simply said 20 bucks is pricey for a calendar app, particularly if they plan on charging more for major updates.

Neither of the apps are $20. One is $15, the other is $3. The app being discussed here, you know that one where you said "sucks that we have to pay for this," is $3.

Oh and newsflash, the latest version of that operating system is free. Wow.

Newsflash: Apple will make the difference with hardware sales. Fantastical doesn't make hardware. Wow. Mind = Blown.

Look for all those that can't manage to actually read...Geez, either read all of my posts on the matter before you hit the reply button or keep it to yourself.

Ok, let's look at what you've said, shall we?

That sucks that existing users still have to pay.

In other words, you think the app should be free. Correct?

To me, that's problematic

I guess some people have an issue with others getting paid for their work.

I'm clearly a terrible, terrible person.

HD clear.

 

[cmChimera]

Neither of the apps are $20. One is $15, the other is $3. The app being discussed here, you know that one where you said "sucks that we have to pay for this," is $3.

The Mac app is currently on sale. It's normally $20. Which makes me wrong, because I assumed the app was $15, and the combined cost of both apps was $20. Good try though.

Newsflash: Apple will make the difference with hardware sales. Fantastical doesn't make hardware. Wow. Mind = Blown.

Wasn't my analogy, it was his. He used OS X as an analogy, and I said it was a bad one for, among others, the reason you stated. Good reading fail though.

In other words, you think the app should be free. Correct?

For existing users maybe. But if you look at my post I said, I'd be more ok with it if they didn't re-charge later for a Mac update. Again, good job reading.

I guess some people have an issue with others getting paid for their work.

That's out of context, I said it was problematic to not update the v1 app for compatibility and bug fixes. I guess some people have a problem with understanding text on a page.

 

[Evangelion]

Clearly not what I said. Grow up dude. I'm not "too damn cheap" I simply said $20 for a calendar app is pricey.

Then don't buy it and continue with your life. Problem solved.

Here's a newsflash for you: you are not entitled to anything. And that includes cheap calendar-apps for iOS or Mac. If you can find one (and I'm sure you can), great. Have at it. But whining that "I really like this app but I don't want to pay!" doesn't get you far.

Again, grow up. Just because I said it sucks that existing users have to pay to upgrade, I never made the claim that all software should be free.

But you do think that once you pay for the software, you should get free upgrades to it for all eternity? I mean, you said that the app should be free for existing users. So you clearly think that you should only pay few bucks once, and that should entitle you to free upgrades until end of time. So you obviously think that the developers should work for free for you, upgrading and improving the app, since you already gave them your three bucks long ago.

Seriously, I just can't wrap my head around the fact that some people are seriously whining about having to spend few bucks on an app! Are you out on the street with an eyepatch and a tin-cup begging for money? Hell no! You routinely waste even more money on BS without blinking an eye, but you whine when you are asked to spend few bucks for an app which you would routinely use every day. The mind, it is boggled!

You don't want to be nickel and dimed, but you're ok with being charged a large amount on the front end. Ok?

Yes. "nickel and dimed" means that features are disabled, unless I pay more. Or that game is handicapped unless I pay more. I would much rather pay full price upfront and get the FULL app with all the bells and whistles.

 

[cmChimera]

Then don't buy it and continue with your life. Problem solved.

There was no problem. You've made it a problem by taking one sentence and turning it into a philosophy.

Here's a newsflash for you: you are not entitled to anything. And that includes cheap calendar-apps for iOS or Mac. If you can find one (and I'm sure you can), great. Have at it. But whining that "I really like this app but I don't want to pay!" doesn't get you far.

You're not telling me anything new. And I'm not whining. I made one statement and you've blown it out of proportion. What apps I choose to buy is my decision, and I don't need someone on a false moral high ground to try and convince me that my personal choices are somehow philosophically inconsistent with reality.

But you do think that once you pay for the software, you should get free upgrades to it for all eternity?

NO. I specifically said otherwise. Read.

Seriously, I just can't wrap my head around the fact that some people are seriously whining about having to spend few bucks on an app! Are you out on the street with an eyepatch and a tin-cup begging for money? Hell no! You routinely waste even more money on BS without blinking an eye, but you whine when you are asked to spend few bucks for an app which you would routinely use every day. The mind, it is boggled!

I can't wrap my head around the fact that you are unable to read any of my posts and actually decipher what's being said.


And I'm done replying to these. I'm not even sure why I bothered justifying your posts with responses.

 

[nutmac]

Here's my two cents on paid upgrade.

From developer's perspective... regardless of how much of the changes are visible to the end users, developers spend a great deal of time rewriting certain things to take advantage of new iOS 7 API as well as re-doing the artwork and tweak animation physics.

From consumer's perspective... unless you originally purchased the app toward the beginning of its lifecycle, it can be a bit jarring having to re-purchase the app for things that some would feel relatively insignificant.

My own perspective... I am a developer myself so I naturally want to support developers, especially independent ones. At the same time, I am a customer also and I feel that while it is frustrating that Apple doesn't provide a good infrastructure to discount existing customers, at the end of the day, punishing the customers is not the right approach. I have talked to few developers that are charging full price for paid upgrades myself, especially type of apps that I use just few times a month (if at that).

Having said all that, I think Fantastical 2 is a very worthy upgrade for following reasons.

1. Reminders integration. To me, this new feature alone is easily worth $2.99, especially since it is full featured and smoothly integrated.
2. If you prefer Fantastical's notification (over Apple's Calendar and Reminders notification), background app refresh is also very handy.
3. On the UI front, we get iOS 7 look and feel, plus new light theme and landscape weekly view. Small tweaks on Dayticker is also nice addition as well as few small cute touches such as the birthday view.
4. Fantastical is a type of app that a typical users would use very frequently.
5. The developer is discounting the app by $2, so existing users are essentially get an upgrade pricing. One may argue that the promotion rewards new customers with discounted price also, but I feel that that argument is a selfish one, since the developer is the only party being penalized financially.

 

[QuarterSwede]

I like that they don't show days with nothing on them! Great feature for me anyway.

I'd like it as an option. I understand others like it the way it is.

i have a few questions about this app;

-upon app launch can i have a month view? (from videos it looks you get week view)

It remembers your last view. I have it open in month view.

-will the inputs synch with the mac os calendar and reminders?

If you're using a syncable calendar like iCloud or Gmail, yes. That's one of its big strengths. There's nothing to setup as it pulls it in from the default iOS Calendar settings.

-does it support birthday alarms from the contacts?

Can't recall if it pulls them from Contacts or not.

-which one shall i get fantastical 1 or 2? i dont care about new design. speed and use are my priority.

Get 2 as it'll be supported.

 

[MOFS]

Have to admit after hearing great things about Fantastical that the video leaves me a little cold. I use iCal a lot [my work rota is so variable] and while the real text parsing seems interesting, the latest iCal with its integration with Maps and its ability to make calendar events from emails with dates/times on seem more useful to me. The added bonus that Address Book on Mavericks now automatically works out which address field goes into which box when you paste an address in makes the integration even easier, and Reminders/ Siri already does the voice memo thing already. Seems a bit dear for minor differences between iCal and Fantastical.

 

[GlenK]

I am testing Fantastical 2 and the iOS7 calendar side by side on my 5S. Three questions for those of you that have been using Fantastical 2.

1- Is there a full page monthly view?? I can't seem to find it if there is.

2- Is there a yearly view of all months like on the OS7 cal version?

Thanks for any help!!!

 

[tgara]

But note that Apple took a $900,000,000 charge against booking current revenues to be able to offer these things for "free". Somehow, I don't think the fantastical developer can afford to take a near-billion dollar write-down this year.

Right, that's why I said the comparison isn't really fair. Thanks for making my point clearer.

 

[Nikhil72]

great tip! now how to do it with speech recognition?

Just use dictation and speak the phrase out loud and at the end say "forward slash 'List name'"

 

[ProductivePal]

Fantastical 2 rocks!

I really love the app. Well worth the investment! It works particularly well with the iPhone 5S which is a whole lot faster than the iPhone 5.

If you're in any doubt about whether or not to upgrade to the iPhone 5S you might find these 6 questions very useful : http://bit.ly/155KVgH

 

[Cancelliere]

Reminders sync with a Google account

I suspect the answer is no, but... is there some way to sync Reminders with a Google account? Unfortunately iOS's Reminders doesn't do it, I was hoping Fantastical could... (and Readdle's Calendars 5 does)
I've been using GoTasks since a couple of days, but I'd rather prefer using a single app for calendar and reminders.

 

[AJsAWiz]

They have one:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fantastical/id435003921?mt=12

Yep, and it's just as Fantastic!