Filed under: iPhone, App Store, App Review
Dial 9 is another smart dialer for the iPhone
The number of dialers for the iPhone give a pretty good indication that this is functionality that needs to be built in. Last week we took at look at one clever dialer; here's another. The Dial 9 visual dialer [App Store link] has a nice GUI and a couple of clever features, all for a reasonable $2.99US price.This dialer keeps track of who you dial, and what numbers you use, and offers you those smart choices when you are ready to contact someone. Dial 9 will automatically import any images that are associated with your contacts, and I was glad to see when I updated a contact with a picture after I installed Dial 9, the app picked up on that without any intervention from me.
When you tap on a contact, you can call them at any number they use, send an SMS, send an email, view the contact or edit it if you like, and show a map of where the contact is. The map is just a link to the maps app on your phone, and once you select that you have to navigate back to Dial 9 from the home screen (a limitation of the current iPhone software).
You can arrange the icons however you like, or have the app arrange them. You can display a first name, first and last, or just images, and can change the background colors, or have different themes for different pages.
This is far from the only dialer for the iPhone. I counted 22 in the store, last time I checked. Faces Visual Dialer is another option at $0.99 (on sale) that has similar capabilities. You'll find free dialers and pay dialers. Other apps mimic old style rotary dialers such as this one, and this one, while others support speech recognition like the AdelaVoice Dialer and VoiceBox Dialer (this isn't meant to be a comprehensive list, just some samples).
I liked Dial 9. It looked nice, and had plenty of functionality. Help files are included and it worked as expected. The only downside of this app, and many that are similar, is that loading time is too long. It takes about 6 seconds to launch, likely because it is updating my contact list and loading images. 6 seconds isn't an eternity, but it can seem like one when you are ready to call someone. It doesn't really save you any screen tapping -- if I use the iPhone contacts, or Dial 9, I am 3 clicks away from dialing in either case. It does save scrolling time though, if your contact list is large and your frequently called contacts are few. That's my situation... I guess I need more good friends.
Here's a link to a video if you want to see how it all works.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Schlaeps said 3:29PM on 4-28-2009
Favorites is better. :/ Matt Gemmel FTW.
http://instinctivecode.com/favorites/
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YodaMac said 6:35PM on 4-28-2009
Yeah. I can fit way more than 9 names on my Favorites screen of Contacts, so that's just a better option for me.
iPhoneGuy said 3:46PM on 4-28-2009
You might find TapTapDial to be interesting. It is specifically built for vision impaired and people who need to dial while driving or doing other tasks.
TapTapDial specifically allows dialing of both favorites as well as any number at all without having to look at the phone.
Full info here: http://www.cookwareinc.com/TapTapDial/
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Kevin Duerr said 4:11PM on 4-28-2009
Easy Dials It for foolproof favorites dialing on the go. Makes it really easy to do one handed. Tilt scrolling, double tap, and away you go!
http://www.riverturn.com/iphone/EasyDialsIt.php
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Mystic said 4:37PM on 4-28-2009
You mean there is no dialer currently built into my iPhone? Wow, guess I've been dialing through telepathy.
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Mystic said 4:50PM on 4-28-2009
And example of BUILT IN functionality that would be nice, is if you could create an icon that sits on the apps screen (kind of like a webpage shortcut) that when pressed would instantly call or SMS that person.
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jollyllama said 8:39PM on 4-28-2009
My telepathy is telling me that Faces in iPhoto is a precursor to this being built into the iPhone.
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David Sinclair said 10:36PM on 4-28-2009
If I may suggest one of my own products, SmileDial is another face dialer. It shows a person's face, and you tap their eyes to have them read a text message, or tap their mouth to call and speak with them.
http://www.dejal.com/smiledial/
(A video demo is included on the SmileDial site, and there's a free edition.)
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Stephen Eyer said 10:48PM on 4-28-2009
Thanks for the great review Mel! We're glad to hear you're enjoying the app.
We'll be giving away a few free promo codes via Twitter for TUAW readers who want to try it out. Follow us at: http://www.twitter.com/flicck for more info.
Stephen Eyer, Co-founder
Flicck
http://www.flicck.com
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Stephen Eyer said 11:26PM on 4-28-2009
@YodaMac - Just to clarify, with Dial 9 you can have up to 90 contacts (9 per page x 10 pages) in the app. So there is plenty of room if you need or want it.
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DAA said 11:27PM on 4-28-2009
Thanks for the review. I have long said that the "i" part of the iPhone works great, but the phone can be a pain. I just bought Dial 9 and really like it so far. I love that it's not just one button per action--I can easily get to every way I might contact someone, but without being overwhelmed.
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Manuel said 1:27AM on 4-29-2009
Personally I prefer "iDial Pro", much quicker to start up and only $0.99 ...
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=309999363&mt=8
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Alex Winter said 5:12PM on 4-29-2009
Thanks again for the nice review! Just to let everyone know: Dial 9 is being offered for only $.99 for a limited time as an introductory price.
Alex
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nikarcher said 7:29PM on 4-29-2009
How about turning your contacts screen into a cover flow version with contact pictures when you turn the phone sideways? flip and double tap to call.
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Steve said 8:35PM on 5-01-2009
I just want ONE icon with the picture of my choosing on my home screen. That's it, nothing fancy or elaborate or that i have to open and then choose who I want to call. Where is that app, I haven't found it yet.
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