There are several unit converters available on the App Store and most of them follow a similar style for performing conversions i.e. you enter a value using the keyboard and that value is converted by the app in real time and displayed to you. The Converted by Ideon offers a completely different yet interesting new approach on performing these unit conversions. The app is also completely gesture based and uses an impressive collection of fonts and colours.
On launch, you are greeted with a handy tutorial, showing you how to navigate and use the app. There is a slight learning curve with The Converted since it’s not like other conversion apps, but the tutorial does a good job of instructing you how to go about the app. In case you’re still having trouble, you can always tap ‘The Guide’ button on the top left. The main view of the app, where you’ll spend most of your time viewing unit conversions is divided into two halves — the left half contains the unit you’re converting from and the right half contains the unit you’re converting to. These halves are divided by a thin vertical line with smaller horizontal lines on either side indicating increments and sub increments like those of a ruler you used back in school. The increments are marked with numbers that you’ll use to deduce the conversion values from one unit to another. This might seem a little confusing while you read it, but using this within the app feels very natural after a while.
Scrolling vertically on the main view lets you view higher conversion values and pinching to zoom allows you to increase the conversion precision. If you’re not satisfied with the current accuracy you can tap and hold on the vertical line or tap the ‘=’ button in the centre of toolbar to enter ‘precision mode’. Precision mode lets you view a more accurate value for your conversions. Sometimes, if you’ve zoomed in too much, you find yourself scrolling for several seconds till you reach a certain value. In order to expedite this process, the app lets you choose from a set of 5 predefined values to quickly scroll to your desired position by tapping on the toolbar button in the bottom right. You can also swap units by tapping the swap button present in this view.
The Converted currently supports over 165 currencies and 52 other units spread across length, weight, temperature, volume, speed and area. To switch between any of these categories you can either perform a horizontal swipe in the main view or tap the toolbar button on the bottom left. Each category has a set of favourites which the app automatically populates based on popularity. To switch the comparison unit, you can simply swipe across a unit in the direction towards which you want it to appear in the main view or tap it. You can add new units by tapping the ‘+’ button in this view. The app is also ‘location aware’, which means it will automagically fetch the currency of your current location. This will be immensely useful for frequent travellers.
The Converted is extremely fun to use and is very useful for casual or approximate unit conversions. However, if you need to make a very precise unit conversion, even the app’s precise mode might not be enough for you. The Converted is still very fluid & functional and is available as a Universal app on the App Store for $2.99.