Zmanim and Luach Applications & Widgets

For the zmanim and Luach Applications and Widgets review, we chose mostly apps that focus on giving that day's zmanim and perhaps a calendar feature.

Our methodology: We looked at how easily these applications were "location-aware" (if at all) and how accurate their zmanim were. The benchmark used for comparing zmanim was http://myzmanim.com with all the zmanim displayed for comparison. Each app is rated form 0 to 10 in accuracy, with 10 out of 10 being +-1 minute on almost all zmanim being calculated when compared to myznanim.com and 0 being numbers so far off as to be useless.

Note: Those looking for more than what time Shabbos (Shabbat) starts should not bother looking past the first four of the following entries. Our favorite is first:
                                                                                                  

Zmanim (version 3.4.114.367) by Jay Gindin

Type: Application
Cost: Free
Zman Accuracy: 10 of 10
Overview:
Simple, location-aware, elegant no-nonsense design. Displays all the necessary zmanim and who's shita is followed.

+Touch upon a particular zman and you'll see a number of shitas and interpretations with the corresponding time right next to each shita. Touch again and make that the default shita for that zman
+Can automatically take elevation into account when calculating zmainm
+Allows minute rounding or second-specific zmanim.
+Always checks to make sure that the location is updated when program is started, alleviating errors.
- Missing ability to jump to future date. Must swipe and scroll through future and past dates.

Recommendations: Would be nice to be able to constantly show two zmanim for key events such as sof zman shema, tefila, and tzait Hacochavim without requiring any additional keypresses.

Utility: All in all, it's the best all-round zmanim app here.

                                                                              
Hebrew Calendar Widget (version 3.4)
by Guy Tavor

Type: Widget
Cost: Free
Zman Accuracy: 10 of 10
Overview: 
Has two Widget options (1x1 and 1x2) to show current Hebrew date (and parsha an description of day on larger widget). While it works only in Widget mode, it puts an unnecessary (and useless) icon in your Apps folder. Larger Widget shows day of Omer but in English mode can all but disappear depending on your wallpaper.
+Allows for English or Hebrew display and custom candle-lighting time.
+Daily Zmanim include daf Yomi and Both Magen Avraham and Gra for important zmanim.
+Touch shows upcoming holidays.
+Allows you to scroll through future and past
-Unnecessary scrolling on my screen to see all of today's times
-Touch repeats information already found on the widget and requires a second press for settings or to show the zmanim for that day.
-Order of today's times is messed up (for instance, Sof zman tefilla shows after sunset) even though the times are all correct

Recommendations: Would like to see touch bring up the zmanim and an options button be used for the settings to make program more efficient and practical.

                                    

                                     

HebrewCal (version 1.0) by Vario Mobile Ltd.

Type: Application
Cost: Free
Zman Accuracy: 10 of 10
Overview: This application can show you today's zmanim and allows you to jump to any day. While location aware, it defaults to Jerusalem.
+Has unique and very cool date conversion feature that easily allows you to convert any Gregorian date to the Hebrew date or vice-versa
+Allows easy date selection
-Requires manual intervention to setup location
-Uses some arguably non-standard shitos for some zmanim and does not allow any changes
-After restarting app, can forget

Utility: Worth having for the date conversion feature alone. If they fix up the fact that you have to reselect your city so often, it would be a great all-around app.

ZmanMinder Widget (v.1.4.0) and ZmanMinder Pro (v.2.3.0) by Jake Colman

Type: Widget
Cost: Free (Widget) and $.99 (Pro)
Zman Accuracy: 10 of 10
Overview:
These are an interesting and unique set of zman applications. The program installs as a widget. The free version puts a 1x2 widget on your home screen showing you the (location aware) time for Shkia (sunset) for today. During the day it is green. Within 30 minutes of sunset it turns yellow and an alarm sounds and at shkia it turns red, sounds an alarm and stays red the rest of the evening. A single touch on the widget opens up a nicely selected accurate set of zmanim. Pro version allows the ability to control widget size down to 1x1 and select zmanim besides shkia and even add custom alarms, etc.

+Unique notification feature
+Simple tap to get list of zmanim
+Pro Version is a worthy upgrade: Includes ability to set notifications or simply display any zman of your choice right on the home screen; Adds quick date selection by tapping English date, and shows Daf Yomi, etc.
-Even with the auto-location update set to 1 hour, can still show stale zmanim from where you traveled during the day. (Must pay attention to city name at top and possibly manually refresh.)
- Free version has no flexibility for which zman is displayed on home screen (Shkia only)

[Updated PM 4/16/12]
                                                                            

Tefila Times + Widget (2.96) & Tefila Times No Ads (v.1.53) by Beno Bro

Type: Widget
Cost: Free with Air Push Ads or $2.13 for No Ads version
Zman Accuracy: 10 of 10
Overview:
This location aware Widget is apparently geared towards those living in the land of Israel. Available for display in English or Hebrew. Shows parsha for next Shabbat.

+Good explanation of each zman when touched
-No flexibility as to which zman is displayed.
-Air Push ads show up in the drop-down notifications on phone, besides for ads in the app itself, an $2.13 is more than the others are charging for full versions.
-Next Shabbat shows wrong parshiot for diaspora, yet it is aware of my location.
-Times come out reversed in Hebrew mode
                                                                            

Zmanim Clock v1.02 by David Ashkenazi

Application and Review Updated 04/17/12
Type Widget
Cost: Free
Zman Accuracy 10 of 10
Overview:
This is a very unique zmanim application. After installing the (large 2x3) Widget on your home screen, you are faced with two clocks. The left clock shows analog and digital military time. The right clock shows the time in "Sha'ot Zmaniot." Status screen shows sunrise and sunset for today.

+Unique feature good for those who know or are learning the halachot of zmanim. For instance, if one knows that sof zman kriat shema is at the third hour of the day or "9:00 am" on a perfect day (sunrise and sunset 6:00 am and 6:00 pm respectively) then all they have to do is look at the clock on the right and if it's past 9:00, it's after sof zman kriat shema.
-Original version took long time to update with my location.
-[Cosmetic] Status screen background does not fill my screen
Utility: Conversation piece and of practical use for those that know the halachot of zmanim well

Thanks to the author for working with us to make the program more practical.
                                                                           

Shabbat Shalom (Version 1.3.7) by RustyBrick

Type: Application
Cost: Free
Zman Accuracy: 9 of 10
Overview:
This location aware Application shows the upcoming parsha, candle lighting time, havdalah times (set to your specifications).

+Does everything it says it does, and does it well

Utility: Of limited practical use for those who need full halachic zmanim

                                                                            

Shabbat Shalom (Version 1.1) by Plaza Jewish Community Chapel(On unit known as: Shabbat Times or Shabbat Candle Lighting Times)Type: Application

Cost: Free
Zman Accuracy 10 of 10
Overview:
This application requires that you enter a zipcode and how many minutes you want havadala (past sundown) upon every startup..Then shows you the candle lighting and havdalah times.

-Annoying that it forgets your location every time you exit the application and it's not location aware

Utility: Of very limited usefulness

                                    

Shabbat (Version 1.0) by Rus Wizards LLC

Type: Application
Cost: Free
Zman Accuracy: 10 of 10
Overview:
This application is apparently running nearly the same code as Shabbat Shalom above, though with a less classy interface.

-Annoying that it forgets your location every time you exit the application and it's not location aware
-Defaults to 2 minutes after sunset for havdalah!(?)

Utility: Of very limited usefulness

  
                                                  

JTools (Version 1.0.0.3) by OKtm Websites IL

Type: Application
Cost: $1.99
Zman Accuracy: 0 of 10
Overview:
This application tries to be more than a simple zman tool. However, it's uselessly inaccurate zmanim and limited usefulness of the other tools included make it not worth the cost.

+Pretty interface includes more than just the non-working zmanim: Things such as compass, upcoming Jewish holidays, person events, etc.
-Biggest problem was that some of the zmanim had completely messed up times (such as 80:5:12 for tzait hakochavim). I couldn't make sense of that in any direction!
                                        

Hebrew calendar & widget -Lite (V. 1.0.6) and Hebrew calendar & widget (v. 1.0.5) by P.D.A.C. Technologies LTD.

Type: Application & Widget
Cost: Free 14 Day Trial (Lite) and $6.99 after that
Zman Accuracy: 0 of 10
Overview:
This application features a nice widget and full month's calendar with zmanim and easy date adjustments. Cannot get this app to show the correct zmanim for my location.

-Received Response from authors: Somehow one is supposed to go into the settings and change the minutes from the current disply for each zman +- to reach the zman in their locale. This, of course doesn't work in practicality, since they don't say where they are basing their zmanim and times can fluctuate plus or minus depending on factors including time of year and long/lat.

Utility: Cannot recommend this application until the calculation of location issue is resolved as the zmanim are useless in the current state.
[Updated PM 04/16/12]