What is the best part about the App Store? The answer is Apps. A better answer is free apps! The trick to free apps is knowing when your favorite apps are on sale and 3 Magic Shots takes a daily moment to inform you. Doubling as an app discovery tool, Magic Shots not only displays a free app, but also other suggestions.
At its core, 3 Magic Shots (3MS) is a very simplistic app. Each day, you are presented with, you guessed it, three new apps. The first is always the discounted, free app. Second, is a spotlighted app and, third, is an app suggestion that is always free. To be clear, only one of three apps is actually discounted.
Each app is presented with screen shots from the app store and several toggles are overlain depending on content. Full content provides a video link, sharing options, an overall 3MS rating/score, and a trending tracker.
The video link will launch Safari.app and show you game footage or a trailer of the selected game. 3MS’ rating system does not show where the rating originates but gives a number on a scale from 0-10, as opposed to 0-5 like the App Store. Trending only shows how many people world wide and in your country and interacting with the app. These are not the most useful tools, if you couldn’t tell.
A calendar icon allows you to navigate previous days’ offerings and suggestions. There is a one week archive accessible within the app. To top things off, the UI is pleasing and well designed. I like the ribbon icons with white stitching running around the edge and swipe gestures control most of the interaction, which is much preferred to tapping around all the time.
Ultimately, 3 Magic Shots (Free, iPhone) is not a very useful app. It almost makes you think each day you will be presented with three apps that have gone free. That assumption is incorrect and to stand up to the screen shots from the app store, which all show free apps, my shot includes the paid app. The first of three apps is discounted to free, but the next two are regular list price…even though the third is always free. Now, this is an excellently beautiful app, but looks aren’t everything. As it is free, there is no bother in giving it a try, but do not be surprised if it doesn’t stay on your Home screen very long.
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