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Location based services like Gowalla and Foursquare are all the rage right now, letting you check in to businesses, bars and restaurants. With major releases or updates to their apps on the iPhone and Android, we take a look at both and see which one reigns supreme!
Gowalla and Foursquare, at their heart, are very similar applications but with some very dramatic differences. Both are apps used on your phone to "check-in" your location and then broadcast to your friends. On the most basic level, these applications allow you to broadcast your current location to your friends, making finding each other much easier on a Saturday night, but both apps take it a step beyond. By integrating a "game" within the applications as well as other little touches, Foursquare and Gowalla are quite unique in their own right. We compare the two apps on both the iPhone and Android platforms to see which one we prefer.
Review by: Ron Richards and Eileen Rivera
Developed by Gowalla | FREE
PROS:
- Very nice looking app with icons and graphics
- Uses phone's location to confirm location check-in
- Ability to comment on friends and their check-ins (iPhone only)
- Virtual items to pick up and drop
- Trips that suggest places for locations
CONS:
- No Commenting on Android
- Virtual items and the game involved doesn't really make sense
- Heavy graphics makes load time an issue
- Can't search for venues to check in at
Developed by Foursquare | FREE
PROS:
- Game of badges and mayorships is fun and makes you want more
- Easy to find friends locations
- Integration with local businesses and celebrity suggestions
CONS:
- Can check in even if you're not at a location, leads to cheating
- Can't filter friends by city (Android)
For our needs, Foursquare is the preferred application, mainly because the majority of our friends are on that platform and actively using it. But even beyond that, with the added integration with local businesses and potential for special offers and the established UI of the application, Foursquare edges out Gowalla, but by a narrow margin. Give them both a shot and see which one works for you!
A bit of added advice/warning: These applications broadcast your physical location, which can lead to privacy concerns. We suggest you only friend people you actually know, who you wouldn't have a problem with them knowing where you are.
Do you have another app you'd like us to review? Email us at appjudgment at revision3 dot com, ping us in the forums or on Twitter: @AppJudgment
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