On Timeliness (Review of Timely from Nongeeks)

I love simple apps. I get the best experience from applications that identify a single problem and center every feature around solving that problem. Dropbox wants to make my files available everywhere I go, Feedly organizes the blogs I follow into a simple list, WriteRoom gives me a blank page to write on. And now, Timely tells me the time.

Timely - Time Teller (Nongeeks) for iOS is a simple tool with a single function: giving me the time on the hour, half-hour, and/or quarter-hour. It is reminiscent, in function at least, of the clocks many of our grandparents had on the mantle that chimed away every fifteen minutes. Timely even includes a chime sound in its customization settings.

There is not much to describe when it comes to extra features, a commentary on the focus with which this app was developed. Timely includes male, female, and toddler voices, the aforementioned chime sound, lasers, and a rooster. It includes custom alerts that allows the user to set up an alert for a specific time and repeat it on the desired days of the week. Timely also allows one to set a time window for receiving alerts so it will not chirp away the time throughout the night. And that is it. Timely focuses on a single task and does not allow itself to be distracted by other possible functions. The included features support the stated goal.

Timely's initial screen gives users a clear picture of what the app is for. When the app opens it presents a list of alerts and a toggle to turn them on and off. The alert sounds can be modified within each alert or under the settings button in the top left. Alerts can be removed by swiping on the alert itself to reveal a "delete" button, by tapping the alert to bring up the options for that alert, or by tapping the "Edit" button in the top right. Also under the settings button is the "Receive Alerts" setting to limit alerts to when they are useful.

A couple of notes on usage: Timely gives the time whether or not it has been killed in the Fast App Switcher. In order to shut off alerts, one can either change the "Receive Alerts" setting or toggle alerts off in the main screen. If the mute switch is on the app will signal the time with a single vibration (Apple does not allow third party apps to use the custom vibration function). Second, changing the alert sound in the main settings menu sets the default for future alerts the user creates. If a user wants to change existing alerts, they will need to change each alert.

The best use I have found for the app is switching it on while I am getting ready for the day or working on a single task. The app helps keep me aware of the time without having to check my watch or turn on my phone's screen. While I enjoy keeping it on all day, there are times when it, like the rest of the features of the modern smartphone, should be switched off (dinner with one's spouse comes to mind).
Timely was designed with a specific goal in mind: telling users the time without having to turn on their phone. Every feature included in the app supports this goal helping to keep the app easy to use and functional.

App Store
Price: $2.99 ($.99 launch sale)
Size: 8.7 MB (10.9 MB on my iPhone 4)