Apple has put years of hard work and focus into creating intuitive and functional stock applications for the iPhone. Apple’s full-featured stocks app, ever-improving camera app, and simple weather app. While most people don’t think about the features in these apps, there is a lot of dedication behind their functionality. Savi Contacts, is a replacement contacts app that extends the functionality and simplicity even further.
Overview:
Savi Contacts (free in the App Store) is a feature-rich contact manager and hub for quick communications. Apple’s stock contacts app is the driving force behind the functionality of Savi, but the intuitive management of favorites, groups, and communication methods is what really sets it apart from the built-in app.
The beauty of Savi Contacts starts the moment the app is launched. A simple tutorial on how to use the app walks you through “importing” your contacts. Your saved numbers, email address, and other contact information are then displayed in your contacts list, along with the photo of each contact (assuming you have photos set for people), no jailbreaking required. Tapping a contacts name will drop down the quick communication options – call, FaceTime, message, or email. One quick tap on your desired action, and you’re instantly on your way to reaching your friends.
The features of Savi Contacts don’t stop their, either. Two more great features are accessed at the bottom of the screen. The first of which is Groups, which allows you to organize your contacts into smaller segments for quicker referencing. Savi’s groups feature is a great tool for keeping business connections, friends, or other smaller segments of contacts separate and accessible. Not only can groups be helpful in organizing contacts, they can also be used to quickly send a group message or email, using the same technique as for individual contacts with the quick communication options.
To make Savi even more of a replacement app, it also features a favorites list, which functions very similarly to the favorites list in the stock Phone app, with a few added benefits. Contacts are displayed as larger icons with their photo, and tapping on each contact drops down the same quick communication options we’ve seen before. This makes creating new messages, emails, or calls a simple process.
Verdict: [rating: 4.5]
Savi Contacts is a extraordinary contact management application, that is feature rich and incorporates an Apple inspired ease of use. The built-in ability to communicate with contacts in a variety of ways, with 1-click simplicity, is a true testament to an Apple-centric experience. If Apple were to take their stock phone & contacts apps and roll them into one, it would be Savi Contacts.
Pros:
- Groups organization
- Photos in contacts list
- Quick communications options
- In-app editing, calling, messaging, email – no more jumping into a different app
Cons:
- Social Network integration not included in Savi Contacts (available in the $1.99 “pro” version)
