Smart Dial, by Gary Fung, attempts to solve an oft-frustrating problem with Apple’s Phone app – namely, how to quickly recall a contact and dial it. Largely, it succeeds – and should find it’s well-earned place in many an iPhone’s dock.
For people like me who have a LOT of contacts – 850 or so at the moment – finding one in the native Phone app can be a bit challenging. Besides the lag, hitting the letters on the right side is often useless – there are pages of contacts under some of the more common letters that must be flicked through. Searching works, but first you have to call it up, then you have to type in the name – and enough of it to narrow it down. Smart Dial cuts to the chase – the search – and makes it quicker and easier.
(Note: In this review, the screenshots provided by the developer were used – so that I wouldn’t have to create fake entries of my own to use. No, I didn’t up and move to Canada and get Rogers service…)
Smart Dial’s initial screen presents an oversized numeric keypad on which you dial either the first or last name of the contact you want to search, or the phone number you wish to dial. As you enter letters, the first and best match appears at the top of the screen, ready for you to call. An arrow next to the call button allows you to select the next match in the list of possible matches. Tapping the name displayed brings up their Contacts page (with all of their numbers) so that you may pick an alternate number to dial (instead of the default and changeable mobile number).
A “Dialed” button brings up numbers dialed via Smart Dial – and will not display any recent outgoing or incoming calls due to SDK restrictions. The “Contacts” button brings up the normal Contacts app.
Smart Dial also supports Speed Dial entries (configured in Settings and activated by holding the appropriate number key) – but I found the native Phone app’s Favorites to be much better and easier since I found remembering who #1 through #9 is in Smart Dial to be a daunting challenge.
NITPICKING A TAD
In my testing, I discovered a few minor flaws that may affect some users and that it is hoped the developer can address.
I have a friend named Rob Davis. Unfortunately, I also have tons of contacts named Rob/Robert/Robby/etc. I also have lots of contacts whose last name either is “Davis” or includes it (such as Davison). Unfortunately, since you cannot type BOTH first and last names, you are stuck hitting the arrow key several times – and you may as well flick screens in Contacts at that point. You cannot enter both first and last names – an oversight in my opinion.
You can also directly dial phone numbers in Smart Dial. I tried to dial the number 272-6336 – but unfortunately, that matches another friend’s last name (Robert Brandenburg). There appears to be no way to resolve this. I thought I would be clever and dial a * or # after the number — which should have no effect on the actual dialing – but the app (or the iPhone) refused to dial it with either appended.
These two complaints are a bit of nitpicking since I did not encounter either issue very often – and it may very well be that I am something of a poor choice to review this app given the number of contacts I have. Your mileage may vary here – but I don’t expect to be confronted by these enough to care terribly about them. I would still like to see them addressed, however.
SUMMARY
Smart Dial is excellent at what it does – and save for the two minor quibbles is an outstanding 5-star app that will surely kick the Phone App out of the dock space on many an iPhone. For it’s current App Store price of 99 cents, it’s also quite a bargain.
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