Dark Sky, a popular hyperlocal weather app and data collection service, has joined Apple to reach far more people with far more impact than ever thought. Dark Sky is one of the most accurate information sources of hyperlocal weather information providing down-to-the-minute forecasts with high location precision.
The acquisition does not affect Dark Sky for iOS at this time, and the app will still be available in the App Store for $3.99. However, Apple has killed Dark Sky for Android and Wear OS, the app is set to expire on July 1 on Play Store.
Apple acquired the Dark Sky weather app to turn itself into an exclusive weather update provider. Dark Sky itself officially announced the acquisition in a blog post. Though, the terms of the deal do not come forward.
“Our goal has always been to provide the world with best weather information possible, to help as many people as we can stay dry and safe, and to do so in a way that respects privacy. There is no better place to accomplish these goals than at Apple. We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to reach far more people, with far more impact than we ever could alone,” Adam Grossman, co-founder of Dark Sky, said in a statement.
The Android version is shutting down in July
Mr. Grossman also confirmed that the acquisition does not affect the iOS version of the app. However, the Android version and the version of the app for non-Apple wearable watches will no longer be available after July 1.
“There will be no changes to Dark Sky for iOS at this time. It will continue to be available for purchase in the App Store,” Mr. Grossman said in an official statement. “The app will no longer be available for download. Service to existing users and subscribers will continue until July 1, 2020, at which point the app will shut down. Subscribers who are still active at that time will receive a refund.”
Dark Sky is also limiting its API, which may face a spate of issues in terms of technology. “Our API service for existing customers is not changing today, but we will no longer accept new signups. The API will continue to function through the end of 2021,” stated by official blog post. It sounds like Apple will stop people from continuing using Dark Sky API, used by many, by the end of 2021, and it will most probably become just a framework of Apple’s Swift language.
The Dark Sky website will not disappear, in the effect of the acquisition, but will continue to support its iOS and API users. The site is now titled as “Dark Sky by Apple,” and says that the website will now be subject to Apple’s Privacy Policy.
Dark Sky has always been an apple of an eye for third-party weather apps, but getting acquired by Apple has prompted sadness in the air as many of us won’t be able to use it for weather updates anymore like before.
After the acquisition of Dark Sky, people are wondering what new Apple weather app would look like. There are possibilities that the new Apple’s weather app might use Dark Sky’s user interface and hyperlocal capabilities to get on people’s expectations.
Alternative weather apps for Android
Dark Sky differentiated itself from other apps with an interactive world map feature that users can zoom-in and zoom-out for various countries, states, and cities. With high-end forecast updates and weather predictions for free, Android users are now in deep sorrow. On acquisition, the app is utterly dead for Android devices.
It has now made Android users think of the next best weather app to get the weather forecasts. Here is what Android users can still enjoy.
Today Weather – the app can be the best replacement for Dark Sky. The app provides weather forecasts on an hourly basis with additional details of humidity, visibility, and feels like. The app is available for free on the app store, but users can also avail of a forever subscription for $6.49.
Accuweather – The ‘MinuteCast’ feature of the app provides minute by minute live weather forecast. Besides, the app provides a daily forecast with hourly weather details. The app is available for free on App Store, but in essence, to get rid of ads and premium updates, users can buy a subscription for $4.
Dark Sky has always been promising in providing accurate and minute-to-minute weather prediction forecasts based on exact locations, and we hope the quality remains the same under the wardship of Apple.
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Featured image: 9to5mac
