Review: ‘Unlike’ apps for smart phones are hip destination guides

Review: ‘Unlike’ smart phone apps are hip guides

MIAMI — A good guidebook is more than just a compilation of information. It’s a travel companion with personality, a sense of humor and usually both strengths and weaknesses. With the proliferation of smart phone guides, a new cast of travel companions is vying to join you on your travels.

On a recent trip to Miami, I tried out a hip, smart guide from an outfit based in Berlin called Unlike. The company offers guides to 10 cities (Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Copenhagen, London, Paris, Sao Paulo, Shanghai and Vienna in addition to Miami), and plans to roll out more in the coming months. Each costs $4.99 or you can get all 10 for $19.99.

Unlike describes its authors as a “team of culture-savvy journalists and fashion, art and music professionals” who will show you the “highlights of the world’s most fascinating cities.” Now, I’m more backpacker than hipster, so it was a fair bet the app would be cooler than me. It is.

When you open the app, it locates you. You can find restaurants, shops or other things to do close by. Or browse by regions of the city or categories: Shop, Food, Art & Culture, Hotel, After Dark and Escapism.

Up pops a list of options, each has a thumbnail photo, and a few words to pique your interest. The writing is sharp, as are the photos.

Tap a listing and a larger image of the location pops up with all the vital details below, like Web link, address, e-mail contact and phone number, which you can just tap to call. A second page offers a few paragraphs about the venue.

Add a few destinations to the “My Tour” itinerary builder and you can plan out a day. The listings in the guide aim to meet the interests of what Unlike’s Youyoung Lee calls “creative professionals” and “early adopters” of technology who use social networking tools like Facebook and Twitter. She says the guide aims to help outsiders feel like insiders while in a city.

I was traveling with my wife and our 7-month-old baby to visit family in Miami, and most of our relatives are lifelong Miami-dwellers who knew most of the spots suggested by the Unlike guide. But in some cases they were a bit surprised at the choices — like Venetian Pool, a former quarry that’s now a spring-fed pool with grottoes, waterfalls and historic buildings. My in-laws said the place is great, but they wouldn’t have necessarily thought of it as a place for out-of-towners to visit.

One potential money-saver for overseas trips is that the content is downloadable and doesn’t require a constant 3G signal, thereby dodging potentially ruinous roaming fees. The GPS location awareness function would still work without Internet connection.

The guide has some downsides. Firstly, like many apps, it voraciously eats the iPhone’s battery (though users with the newest iPhone may see some gain from the improved batteries). If you use the map function and the GPS to find your way from location to location, be sure to have a charger handy.

I’d say the biggest weakness is more a function of the guide’s target demographic. It’s great for the jet-set. But, with a baby in tow, we were a bit leery of the many white-tablecloth restaurant suggestions.

Lee concedes that Unlike is “not catering to backpackers or large families.” But if you’re thrilled by the idea of playing putt-putt amidst modern art exhibits and following up with tapas, then this guide is for you.