Overview
Cosmic Watch is a visually impressive, feature-rich world clock app.
Developer: Celestial Dynamics Ltd
Cost: $4.95
Highlights
- Impressive visuals
- Many useful features
- Fun to play around in
Impressions
Cosmic Watch is one of those apps that you can lose a ton of time in. You pop it open to play with, and wind up losing an hour to it just seeing all that it can do. The app touts itself as “the world’s first interactive astronomical clock,” which offers a bevy of features beyond just a timekeeping instrument.
Cosmic Watch is visually stunning. The 3D globe is highly detailed and there are a bunch of customization options for the appearance of the main screen. However, I do wish you were able to zoom in a bit more on the globe, or that the texture of the surface of the land was a bit higher resolution so that when you zoom the image stays sharp. Otherwise, the visuals can be mesmerizing. The developers even included options to hide the menus and a screenshot shortcut so you can easily share your favorite views.This app would make an excellent face for using your phone as a desk clock.
Besides just being a beautiful world clock, Cosmic Watch offers a host of features for you to play with. A time travel clock, solar system model, astrological sign chart, and constellation map are all packed into the app as overlays on the globe. Some are more useful than others, however, unless you know how to use them. These features make this app a fine educational tool for teachers.
Despite all of the great things about this app, the price gives me pause. At five bucks, I can’t see the value unless this is something you’re going to use every day. Also, for that price point I’d like to see a bit more polish on the UI and a bit more accuracy on the location settings.
Conclusion
I would definitely recommend Cosmic Watch to anyone who uses their phone as a desk clock, a teacher looking for an engaging visual aide, or anyone who has an interest in space at all. Even if the price is tough to swallow, the app is substantial and very entertaining so it’s up to you whether or not to take the plunge.
Download Cosmic Watch from the Play Store.
