Customer Reviews (500)

Yamper11 • 2025-03-20T18:26:14-07:00

Every time I go snowboarding I turn it on and it’s really simple to understand

Ayden Prouse • 2025-03-19T16:41:36-07:00

Yes it’s accurate but it doesn’t update fast enough unless ur going a constant speed

Aaron Luz • 2025-03-19T12:03:28-07:00

I very love this app and I’ve been using it for 3 1/2 weeks and then we got a scooter a four wheeler and I’ve been enjoying this app for days

Summary of Key Insights

  • Speedometer Simple is generally well-received for its simplicity and accuracy, particularly when used as a speedometer replacement in vehicles with malfunctioning speedometers or for activities like biking. However, the app suffers significantly from intrusive advertising that obscures the speedometer reading, leading to user frustration. GPS connectivity issues and occasional accuracy problems are also notable drawbacks. While many appreciate the core functionality, feature requests such as CarPlay integration, lock screen widgets, and background operation highlight areas for improvement. The strong 5-star rating is tempered by a significant number of 1-star reviews often centered around the disruptive ads.

  • Strengths: Simplicity, perceived accuracy (though contested), useful for replacing broken speedometers, helpful for biking and other activities.

  • Weaknesses: Intrusive ads covering the speedometer, GPS connectivity issues ("Poor GPS Reception"), occasional accuracy problems, slow speed updates, lack of CarPlay integration, no lock screen widget, inability to run in the background.

  • Overall Sentiment: Mixed. Core functionality is appreciated, but ads are a major detractor.

  • Quantitative Metrics:

    • Overall Rating: Not directly calculable from the provided data, but strongly skewed towards positive due to the high number of 5-star reviews.
    • Score Distribution: 5-star (63.6%), 4-star (9.6%), 3-star (3%), 2-star (4.2%), 1-star (19.6%)

Data & Methodology Overview

  • Data Sample Size: 500 reviews
  • Time Frame: Not explicitly stated, but based on the version number (2025.3), the reviews are likely from late 2024 or early 2025, and possibly some earlier reviews.
  • Analysis Methods: Qualitative analysis focusing on identifying recurring themes, sentiment expressed in the reviews, and feature requests. Keyword extraction was used to identify frequently mentioned issues and positive aspects.

Key User Pain Points

  • Intrusive Ads: The most significant pain point. Ads frequently cover the speedometer reading, rendering the app unusable and creating a safety hazard while driving. Many users threaten to uninstall or have already uninstalled the app due to this.
  • GPS Connectivity Issues: Many users report persistent "Poor GPS Reception" errors, even with strong cellular signals and location services enabled.
  • Accuracy Problems: While some users praise the app's accuracy, others report significant discrepancies between the app's speed reading and their vehicle's speedometer, especially at lower speeds or during acceleration.
  • Slow Speed Updates: Some users find that the app's speed updates are too slow, making it difficult to track rapidly changing speeds.
  • Lack of Background Operation: The inability to run the app in the background limits its usefulness for activities where users need to use other apps simultaneously.

Frequently Requested Features

  • CarPlay Integration: Many users want the app to be compatible with CarPlay so they can view the speedometer on their car's infotainment system.
  • Lock Screen Widget: A lock screen widget would allow users to quickly check their speed without unlocking their phone.
  • Background Operation: The ability to run the app in the background while using other apps, such as navigation, is a highly requested feature.
  • Customization Options: Users want more customization options, such as the ability to change fonts, colors, and the layout of the speedometer display.
  • Speed Limit Display: Displaying the current speed limit would be a valuable addition.
  • Pause Recording Feature: A pause button during recording would be helpful for intermittent use cases.
  • Smoother Animation of Speedometer Needle: Some users find the "ticking" motion of the analog speedometer gauge to be jarring and prefer a smoother animation.

Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • Simplicity and Ease of Use: Many users appreciate the app's simple and intuitive interface.
  • Accuracy (Perceived): A significant number of users report that the app is accurate, especially when compared to malfunctioning vehicle speedometers.
  • Useful for Replacing Broken Speedometers: The app is a popular choice for drivers with broken speedometers.
  • Helpful for Biking and Other Activities: Users find the app useful for tracking speed and distance while biking, running, and other activities.
  • Trip Recording and Statistics: The app's trip recording feature, which includes maximum speed, traveled distance, and route mapping, is appreciated by many users.
  • Customization Options (Color Schemes): The ability to customize the app's color scheme is a popular feature.
  • Compass and City Name Display: The optional compass and city name display are appreciated by some users.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

  • Address Intrusive Advertising: This is the most critical issue. Implement less disruptive ad formats, such as banner ads that do not obscure the speedometer reading. Consider offering a more affordable ad-free option.
  • Improve GPS Connectivity: Investigate and address the "Poor GPS Reception" errors. Optimize the app's GPS usage and provide troubleshooting tips to users.
  • Improve Accuracy: Conduct thorough testing to identify and fix any accuracy problems, especially at lower speeds and during acceleration.
  • Optimize Speed Update Frequency: Increase the frequency of speed updates to provide a more responsive and accurate reading.

Medium Priority:

  • Implement CarPlay Integration: Adding CarPlay support would significantly enhance the app's usability for drivers.
  • Add Lock Screen Widget: A lock screen widget would provide a convenient way to check speed without unlocking the phone.
  • Enable Background Operation: Allowing the app to run in the background would make it more useful for activities where users need to use other apps simultaneously.
  • Enhance Customization Options: Provide users with more control over the app's appearance and layout, such as the ability to change fonts, colors, and display elements.

Low Priority:

  • Add Speed Limit Display: Displaying the current speed limit would be a helpful addition, but it is not as critical as the other recommendations.
  • Implement Pause Recording Feature: A pause button during recording would be a nice-to-have feature, but it is not essential.
  • Smooth Speedometer Needle Animation: Improving the animation of the analog speedometer gauge would enhance the app's visual appeal, but it is not a high priority.

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  • Premium Speedometer App with Advanced Features: Develop a paid speedometer app with advanced features such as:
    • Real-time traffic data and speed limit alerts
    • Integration with other navigation apps
    • Customizable display layouts
    • Advanced trip recording and analysis tools
    • Head-up display (HUD) mode
  • Speedometer App for Specific Activities: Create specialized speedometer apps tailored to specific activities, such as biking, running, or boating, with features relevant to those activities.
  • Speedometer App with Social Features: Develop a speedometer app with social features that allow users to share their speed and distance data with friends and compete in challenges.

Trends and Observations

  • Language Preferences: Most reviews are in English, but there are also reviews in other languages, such as Russian, Polish, and Spanish. This indicates a global user base.
  • Shift in Sentiment: Many older reviews are positive, while more recent reviews are negative due to the intrusive ads. This suggests that the app's user experience has declined over time.
  • Use Cases: Common use cases include replacing broken speedometers, tracking speed while biking, and monitoring speed in vehicles with inaccurate speedometers.

Conclusion

Speedometer Simple has the potential to be a highly valuable app, but its intrusive advertising is severely detracting from its user experience. By addressing the advertising issue and implementing the recommended improvements, the developer can significantly enhance the app's usability and appeal. The core functionality of the app is appreciated, and with the right improvements, it can become a top choice for users seeking a simple and accurate speedometer. Overall, it is recommended that the developer prioritize addressing the advertising issue and improving GPS connectivity and accuracy.

Original App Link

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/speedometer-simple/id939507215?uo=2