Alpenglow: Sunset Prediction, a unique app designed for photography enthusiasts, is now available on Apple Vision Pro and other Apple devices including iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. Created by developer Andrew Yates, Alpenglow aims to provide photographers with precise times for sunrise, sunset, Golden Hour, and Blue Hour, all crucial moments for capturing breathtaking shots. The app goes beyond simple timing, delivering both Sunrise and Sunset Quality Forecasts up to four days in advance for users who upgrade to Alpenglow Plus or Pro, as well as reminder notifications to ensure you never miss that perfect moment.
Photographers can customize reminder alarms and adjust reminder times to their specific needs, making sure they capture each beautiful scene under the best light conditions. Alpenglow stands out due to its wide array of features which include a Sun Direction Map, that offers an interactive view of where the sun will rise and set from any chosen location. This can be extremely handy for planning shoots in advance from afar. Photoshoots can be easily prepped using the app’s Custom Location Selection, and users can quickly navigate through dates using arrows or the Calendar Date Picker. The app also offers magnificent support for Light and Dark Modes, fitting seamlessly into your device’s theme settings.
For desktop enthusiasts, the app provides widgets that display Sunrise, Sunset, and Magic Hour times, along with Forecast Widgets for Alpenglow Pro Users that can dynamically toggle between Sunrise and Sunset forecasts. The Sun Direction Widget is another useful tool, providing a visual representation of the sun’s trajectory at any given location.
Alpenglow Pro, offers a bevy of advanced features. Pro users get access to quality forecasts further into the future with notifications for sunrise and sunset forecasts that exceed user-defined thresholds. This version uses precise location data to enhance the accuracy of forecasts, which are never stored online, maintaining your privacy. The app even calculates elevation for more accurate timing and allows users to access forecasts and times at their recently searched locations with ease. Furthermore, you can customize the app’s primary color and app icon to suit your personal style. Pro users can also enjoy Forecast Complications on Apple Watch, share their subscription with family members via Family Sharing, and view Outlook Complications on various Watch Faces.
Customer feedback on Alpenglow is a mixed bag. On one hand, some users applaud the app for providing timely reminders and quality forecasts that ease their photography planning. They appreciate the lifetime purchase option despite some considering it pricey, praising the developer for at least providing this choice. Some users find the customization options and the app’s interface design highly satisfying. The widgets are also a hit for some, who find them beautiful and useful. Moreover, the developer’s dedication to user problems is well noted, as one user recounts how Alpenglow’s team went above and beyond to resolve their issues quickly, even reaching out through Twitter.
Conversely, several users have expressed concerns regarding the accuracy of the app’s forecasts. Some argue that predictions for quality sunrises or sunsets often change as the anticipated time approaches, sometimes leading to disappointment when forecasts are downgraded, or when surprising moments are missed due to lower predictions than what actually occurs. They emphasize the irregularity in forecast accuracy and advise using the app alongside traditional weather checks to avoid missing out on splendid nature events. Some reviews highlight that the app sometimes depicts inaccurate predictions for regions with complex meteorological conditions, making it less reliable. Others have pointed out the post-iOS 16 inaccuracies and technical glitches, particularly with widgets, reducing the app’s reliability.
One user mentioned the new restriction in the free version to only show a one-day outlook as a significant drawback, feeling the app’s previously available functionalities are now locked behind a paywall. Suggestions from users include more detailed breakdowns of why a particular forecast is labeled as good or bad, a more user-friendly layout for multiple locations, and combo widgets that integrate times and quality forecasts.
While Alpenglow offers brilliant tools for photography enthusiasts, combining vital timing, quality forecasts, and reminder functionalities in a beautifully designed app, its main challenge lies in consistently accurate forecasting. For those interested, it remains a valuable tool but perhaps best used in conjunction with other weather prediction methods for the most reliable results.
