We all lead busy lives and sometimes it’s easy to miss out on the latest SpaceX rocket launch. If you want to keep track of the latest SpaceX launches, Pocket Rocket for iOS—which launched in April—is an elegant app that makes it very easy to do so.
Pocket Rocket costs $3.99 USD upfront, which includes base features such as day-of reminder notifications about every upcoming SpaceX launch, along with dates and countdowns as well in real-time. The developers behind the app are SHUHARI Tech, a software company in Japan that develops iOS and AR apps.
The app takes advantage of augmented reality (AR) to let you view your favourite SpaceX rockets in 3D view and AR, while every launch will include livestreams directly in the app, making it very convenient.
Pocket Rocket is elegantly designed and is a simple app that is beautiful and a joy to use. Information is laid out clearly so it’s easy to digest. The main timeline view shows you past, current and future launches. With SpaceX and NASA’s Crew-1 mission set for November 14, an app like Pocket Rocket is invaluable to get instant updates.
Tapping a rocket brings up information such as an image of the rocket itself, how much time remaining until the next launch, the launch location, names of each rocket stage, along with details such as its crew, payload, mass, landed and reused status and more, including a short summary of the mission.
One of the best features of Pocket Rocket is its iOS 14 widgets, which make it incredibly easy to track SpaceX launches from your home screen. Widgets show the number of days remaining until the launch and also has the name and image of what’s coming next.
While the base features are great, if you want more personalized push notifications about launch updates and detailed reminders, you need to select 1 of 3 subscription tiers (available at monthly or yearly prices at discount, ranging from $0.99 to $44.99 USD). These push notifications will include “dynamic, hand-authored launch reminders and updates,” while Silver and Gold tiers can “engrave” names into their Starship Super Heavy, and get access to future features.
Now, some people may not like supporting in-app purchases on top of having to pay for an app, but with how well thought out Pocket Rocket is and the ease of use of keeping tabs on SpaceX launches in real-time, it is pretty handy to have. It also feels good to be supporting developers creating well-made and helpful apps. And those iOS 14 widgets are gorgeous.
Click here to download Pocket Rocket from the App Store for $3.99 USD.
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