Altimeter app for iPhone and iPad
4.2 (
6652 ratings )
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Developer:
Andrew Smith
0.99 USD
Current version:
2.0, last update: 7 years ago
First release : 05 Oct 2008
App size: 113.92 Kb
Altimeter puts the GPS capabilities of your iPhone to use as a handy altimeter. See your current altitude, set the base altitude before you begin a climb, run, hike, or bike ride, and then check again at the peak to see how far you have climbed. You dont have to have your iPhone on all the time, just turn it on whenever you want to check your progress. Altimeter remembers your starting altitude even when your phone is off.
NEW*** Greatly improved GPS tracking, accuracy, status reporting.
NEW*** Now calculates your climb rate in ft/min or m/min.
This version now also keeps track of your starting and ending time, and shows the elapsed time as well as the change in elevation. Great for comparing your times to complete your favorite hike!
A great tool, but of course its only as accurate as the GPS readings that you are getting. It works best with clear views of the open sky, and wont work on devices that dont have full GPS hardware, like the iPod iTouch. Altimeter uses the iPhone GPS hardware fully, but often you may need a little patience while the hardware acquires the satellite signal. As with other iPhone GPS apps, it usually takes between 30 seconds and a minute to get a ‘lock’ on a satellite if you are in an area with a direct line to the sky (away from tall buildings and trees for best results).
Altimeter runs even better on iPhone 4!
Note that the little gear activity indicator does not run all the time, it only turns when a new altitude reading is received.
The civilian GPS system limits accuracy to about 50 feet, and does not provide altitude readings above 50,000 feet, but in our field tests we find that even small changes in actual elevation are reflected in the received data. So, as you ride or walk up and down hills, with good atmospheric conditions, you will get good information about your change in altitude.
NOTE: Only the iPhone 3G, 3GS, and 4G have actual GPS hardware, so those are the only devices that Altimeter will work on. It will not work on an iPod Touch. However, even if you have no cell phone service Altimeter will still work, as long as the device has a clear view of the GPS satellites.
Pros and cons of Altimeter app for iPhone and iPad
Altimeter app good for
Cool app -- gives me an Altimeter on my iphone. Its great, I hike a lot and I always wonder how high I am going. I think Ill use this a lot.
Simple, accurate, and easy to use, with surprising results hiking along the foothills here. Nice job!
Works great on my iPhone. The iTouch does not have GPS hardware, so this app will not work on it. With an iPhone, it will give you good results. Sometimes the +/- accuracy shows a higher number, but as you go up and down you do see the changes, even if its just a few feet. Love it!
Slick little application. Handy for bike rides and hikes. Great work!!
Im not sure what all the negative review is, but this app did not promise to be accurate to 20 feet or anything. For the most part, it is accurate to 250 feet OR BETTER which is good enough to give a decent idea of what elevation one is at.
When my watch with all of my hiking aids ceased to function, I dreaded the search for a replacement and the expense. Lo and behold the ap Altimeter on my iPhone came to the rescue.
Some bad moments
The program is great but there is a flaw in it. The description says its for the ipod touch 2nd generation which i just bought. I ran the program and it doesnt work. Ive removed and reinstalled the app on my ipod twice and still doesnt work. It only works with the iphone. So if you have an iphone and want this program, itll be great for you to use but for all of us who have the 2G ipod touch were out of luck
Paid my 99¢, thought this would be fun. Takes forever to get an altitude (even outdoors), then the result is inaccurate to the point of uselessness. Sitting in Atlanta, with Google Maps reporting a good GPS signal, Altimeter tells me Im at 971 feet, ± 231 feet! Um, thanks, but no thanks.
This product doesnt work on my phone. It will display an initial altitude with something like a thousand feet of possible error and then freeze.
...but for me it was too slow and the margin of error too great to be useful.
i bought this last year. its useless. it always tries to set zero feet at your current location.
when at ocean beach----sea level---it reads 100 feet above sea level.
dont waste your time with this one.
Did not work, no matter where I tried it. I live in a major US city, so its not like Im in the boondocks searching for a GPS signal (not that it should matter).
