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Review: Vert 2

How many watts is one unit of donkeypower? Vert 2 will reveal all 

There are lots of conversion apps which can tell you how many feet are in a meter, or convert gallons to liters. But Vert 2 – Unit and Currency Converter is almost certainly the best out there. There are two key elements to Vert 2’s success: it’s design and ease of use, and the vast range of units that it supports.

You can even set Vert’s color scheme to match your iPhone.

You can even set Vert’s color scheme to match your iPhone.

The interface is a masterclass in iOS design, with a classy look and feel that could have been signed off by Jony Ive. The app mainly utilizes two screens: one for the selection of your units (distance, weights, currency, time and so on), and one for the actual conversion.

But first let’s talk about the units: with the latest update it now offers 34 categories. As well as the obvious ones mentioned above, it features things like clothing so you can buy the right sizes when abroad; rock climbing ratings so you won’t take on too difficult a pitch; plus a load of scientific units such as volumetric flow, radioactivity, luminance – even typography for old-school print.

The range of supported units is certainly comprehensive.

The range of supported units is certainly comprehensive.

You simply tap on a category and the conversion screen slides into place, with the appropriate keyboard or menu. The colored strip shows the conversion rate, with the > symbol showing the direction you’re converting. To make a conversion you simply tap in the relevant figure and then scroll up or down to find the correct unit. For example, the Volume category includes drop, fluid ounce, cup, pint, quart, gallon, liter, peck, bushel, and quite a few more besides.

With lists this long, it can take time to find the unit you need, so Vert has a search function which accepts both full names and abbreviations (km, w, l, h, etc) as well as country codes and names for currencies.

The new search function is a great help in tracking down the right units.

The new search function is a great help in tracking down the right units.

The majority of conversions are done using built-in equations, so they’re always to hand, although currency conversion does require that you have internet access to download the latest rates.

On top of all that, Vert 2 provides you with a range of settings to customize the app to your liking, including a variety of color schemes, Chinese and Japanese units, plus ‘uncommon units’ such as donkey power and the weight of a fully-loaded 747.

Okay, not everyone needs a unit converter every day, but you never know when it’ll come in handy, and you only need one – this one. And we’ve just heard that you can now try a ‘lite’ version of Vert for free!

Price: $1.99/£1.49

Size: 10.3 MB

Version: 2.1

Platform: iOS Universal

Developer: Andrej Mihelic

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