Customer Reviews (100)

Michael deery • 2025-03-24T13:58:53.883Z

great app and really accurate

Laurentiu Fratila • 2025-03-22T09:33:55.612Z

On my Samsung S21 Ultra, its a fail. I bought this app, over 1 year ago, and still same fail. A big disapointing... I though an update will be enough but even the last update, its a totally fail...

Mr Wunderful • 2025-03-20T17:53:25.472Z

such a useful app works flawlessly highly recommend

Summary of Key Insights

PeakFinder is a highly-rated app, generally praised for its accuracy, offline functionality, and usefulness in identifying mountain peaks. The overall sentiment is very positive, reflected in the high percentage of 5-star reviews. However, several recurring issues, particularly regarding compass accuracy, alignment problems, and limitations with the photo export feature, detract from the user experience. The app's strengths lie in its extensive peak database and offline capabilities. The weaknesses center around device compatibility issues and specific feature limitations.

Quantitatively, the app has a strong positive skew:

  • Overall Rating: Not explicitly provided, but inferred to be high based on the score distribution.
  • 5-Star Reviews: 72%
  • 4-Star Reviews: 15%
  • 3-Star Reviews: 3%
  • 2-Star Reviews: 5%
  • 1-Star Reviews: 5%

Data & Methodology Overview

  • Data Sample Size: 100 reviews
  • Time Frame: Not explicitly stated, but assumed to be recent based on the version number (4.8.39).
  • Analysis Methods: The analysis involved manual review and categorization of user comments to identify recurring themes, sentiments, feature requests, and pain points. Keyword extraction was used implicitly to identify common issues.

Key User Pain Points

  • Compass Accuracy/Alignment Issues: Several users reported that the app doesn't orient correctly, requiring manual alignment or providing inaccurate peak identifications. This is a major issue as it undermines the core functionality of the app.
  • Photo Export Limitations: Users are frustrated that the photo export feature only captures the visible portion of the screen, leading to a loss of half the photo.
  • Device Compatibility Issues: Some users, particularly on Samsung devices (e.g., S21 Ultra, Galaxy Flip 6), experienced failures or unexpected behavior (e.g., using the selfie camera instead of the main camera).
  • Peak Names Cut Off: When saving photos, peak names are sometimes cut off.
  • Accuracy in Certain Regions: One user noted that the app didn't work well in Peru, suggesting regional accuracy issues.
  • Small Font Size: The font size of peak names is too small, especially in bright sunlight.
  • Missing Nearby Peaks: Sometimes, the app shows distant peaks but misses nearby ones.

Frequently Requested Features

  • Full Photo Export Option: The ability to export the entire photo with peak labels, not just the visible portion of the screen.
  • Downloadable Panorama Sketch: The option to download a copy of the sketch panorama for a given location as an image file.
  • Distance Display: A setting to display the peak distance from the current location next to the elevation.
  • Contour Customization: Settings for contour thickness and opacity/transparency when applying them to photos.
  • Path Overlay: An option to add a colored path on the contour layer to show hiking routes.
  • Canvas Size Adjustment: A feature to change the canvas size of the photo to create more room for labels.

Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • Accuracy (Generally): Many users praise the app's accurate peak identification.
  • Offline Functionality: The ability to use the app offline is a major advantage.
  • Extensive Peak Database: The app includes a vast database of over 1,000,000 peaks.
  • User-Friendly Interface: The app is described as having a simple, clean, and elegant UI.
  • Educational and Entertaining: Users find the app both educational and enjoyable to use.
  • AR and Distance Estimation: The ability to take photos with AR and estimate distances is appreciated.
  • Sun and Moon Tracking: The inclusion of sun and moon tracking is a valued feature.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

  • Address Compass Accuracy/Alignment Issues: Investigate and fix the compass accuracy and alignment problems. This is the most critical issue as it affects the core functionality. Consider providing better calibration instructions or alternative alignment methods.
  • Implement Full Photo Export: Restore or implement a full photo export option that includes all peak labels and the entire image.
  • Investigate Device Compatibility: Address the device-specific issues, particularly on Samsung devices. Thoroughly test the app on various devices and operating systems.

Medium Priority:

  • Improve Font Size: Increase the font size of peak names or provide an option to adjust it.
  • Add Distance Display Option: Implement a setting to display the peak distance from the current location.
  • Allow Contour Customization: Provide settings for contour thickness and opacity.
  • Address Peak Name Cut-Off Issue: Fix the bug that causes peak names to be cut off when saving photos.

Low Priority:

  • Implement Downloadable Panorama Sketch: Add the option to download the panorama sketch.
  • Add Path Overlay Feature: Consider adding a feature to overlay hiking paths.
  • Add Canvas Size Adjustment: Implement a feature to change the canvas size for photo exports.
  • Investigate Regional Accuracy: Further investigate and improve accuracy in regions like Peru.

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  • Enhanced Reality Hiking App: A hiking app that combines PeakFinder's peak identification with real-time trail information, difficulty ratings, and user reviews, all overlaid on the camera view.
  • AI-Powered Peak Identification: An app that uses AI to automatically identify peaks from photos, even without GPS or compass data.
  • Personalized Mountain Guide: An app that learns the user's hiking preferences and provides personalized recommendations for trails and peaks.

Trends and Observations

  • Language Preferences: The majority of reviews are in English, with a few in other languages (e.g., Czech, French, Italian).
  • Positive Sentiment Consistency: The overwhelmingly positive sentiment has been consistent.
  • Compass Issues Persist: The compass accuracy issue has been a recurring problem, suggesting it hasn't been adequately addressed in previous updates.

Conclusion

PeakFinder is a valuable and well-regarded app with a strong user base. However, addressing the key pain points, particularly those related to compass accuracy and photo export limitations, is crucial for maintaining its positive reputation and attracting new users. Implementing the frequently requested features would further enhance the user experience and solidify PeakFinder's position as the leading peak identification app. Overall, a focused effort on bug fixing and feature enhancements is recommended.

Original App Link

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.peakfinder.area.alps