Get it while its hot! Flexibits' Fantastical 2 is currently on sale for $1.99 (normally $4.99). If you're looking for the perfect calendar app for your iPhone, your search may end here.
Design
Upon first launching the app, you'll be greeted with a red bar at the top of the screen that displays the current month. Fantastical 2's "Day Ticker" is displayed by default, with events or reminders (which may be synced with Apple's Calendar and Reminders apps) presented in a list view—essentially making the app a calendar and task list. Pulling down on the Day Ticker reveals a month view, with colored dots appearing on days with events scheduled. Pulling down slightly on the Day Ticker or month view enables Search, which can filter events by title, location, invitees, or all.
Tilting the device in landscape orientation displays a more traditional calendar view, showing you five days at a time with a scrollable eight-hour view of your day's events.
Funtionality
Event creation is where Fantastical 2 really shines. It's natural language input makes scheduling appointments or events a breeze. Simply tap the "+" icon, and typing something like "Lunch next Tuesday with Tom at 12:30," will schedule it as such (bonus points if you use Siri to dictate it).
Moreover, the app handles repeating events just as well. Adding phrases like "every other Friday" to events will have them repeat as such. If you have multiple calendars, typing "/(calendar name)" will add your new event to its respective calendar.
While viewing today's date, Reminders will always be at the top of the day's event list. Tapping it will take you to a seperate view of all incomplete to-dos in your list. Reminders will only appear in your Day Ticker if they are assigned a due date. New reminders can be created from within Fantastical 2. Otherwise, it'll pull reminders from the Reminders app, or sync with any reminders you use Siri to create.
Several smaller features tucked away in Fantastical 2's settings make using the app much more enjoyable, such as the light or dark theme for the Day Ticker, badging the app's icon to show the current date, and opening links and locations in Google's Chrome or Maps apps. You can tweak the app's settings to cater to your needs, which is something Apple's Calendar app sorely lacks.
Pros:
- Gorgeous, intuitive interface
- Natural language input works flawlessly
- Syncs with Calendar and Reminders
- More control of repeating events than with Apple's Calendar
Cons:
- None
The Verdict
If you're even remotely disatisfied with the stock Calendar and Reminders apps on your iPhone, Fantastical 2 is a great way to have better event and task management. Its intuitive interface is new, yet familiar, and is easy to start using right away thanks to its ability to sync with your existing calendar and reminders.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars