Daimyo Clock vs EarthPhase
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Daimyo Clock
Experience traditional Japanese timekeeping with this app, which recreates a 17th-century mechanical clock. It accurately displays time divided into six equal periods for day and night, adjusting for seasonal changes in daylight.
- Traditional Japanese timekeeping
- Day/night divided into six equal periods
- Seasonal daylight adjustments
- Accurate solar noon calculation
- Location-based time display
- Twilight start/end calculation
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Daimyo clock is a recreation of a mechanical clock developed in the seventeen century based on western clocks but modified to show traditional Japanese time. Traditional Japanese time divides the day and night into six equal periods from dawn to dusk and dusk to dawn respectively. Over the course of a year as the daylight and nighttime periods lengthen and shorten, the length of these six day or night periods change. Unlike Western clocks which are regulated by a single pendulum and run at a constant speed day or night, Japanese clocks incorporated two pendulums, and switched between them at dawn and dusk. Adjustment for the changing daylight and nighttime hours was accomplished by adjusting the effective length of the pendulums, normally done every two weeks, or twenty-six times a year. This kept the time shown on the clock reasonably close to the correct time, provided that the clock had been set correctly initially. This modern implementation is much more accurate and precise than the original clocks. In this implementation, the biweekly adjustments of the mechanical clock are made continuously, thus the day or night period length are always correct. Noon on the clock will, if location services are enabled, occur when the sun is at the zenith, or solar noon. Day start and end correspond to the beginning or end of twilight, and are calculated accounting for the refraction of the Earth's atmosphere. There are three situations where the clock my not show the local time in the Japanese manner: 1. If location services are off, Daimyo Clock will show the time for Tokyo, Japan. 東京 will be displayed on the clock face in this case. 2. While the application is obtaining an updated location after launch or returning to foreground. 3. Near the North or South poles the sun may either be above the horizon or below it for the entire day (24 hour period). In this case, the Japanese definition of time no longer applies, so the clock face will be shown without a clock hand.
EarthPhase
Explore a beautifully designed, interactive solar system with real-time celestial data. Track moon and Earth phases, view planet positions, and travel through time to discover cosmic events and facts.
- Interactive solar system map
- Real-time moon and Earth phases
- Home and lock screen widgets
- Time travel slider for past/future events
- Discover cosmic facts and mechanics
- Accurate planet positions and orbits
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EarthPhase is your personal, beautifully designed pocket solar system, with all features completely free. Built with a stunning matte, low-key aesthetic, it brings the exact state of the solar system directly to your device. Whether you are an astronomy enthusiast or simply love a clean, minimalist Home Screen, EarthPhase tracks the cosmos in real-time. WIDGET SUITE Never miss a cosmic event. EarthPhase offers a variety of widgets designed to blend seamlessly with your custom setups: Home Screen Trackers: Keep an eye on the current Moon and Earth phases with perfectly rendered, dynamic icons. Lock Screen Data: Add circular planet icons or detailed rectangular widgets that display the exact live illumination percentage of the Moon or Earth right below your clock. Live Solar System: Place a dynamic map of the inner and outer planets on your Home Screen, available in multiple sizes. INTERACTIVE SOLAR SYSTEM Dive into the app to explore a highly accurate, interactive schematic of our solar system. Tap any planet to zoom in on its specific orbit, view its position relative to the Sun, and explore its major moons. TIME TRAVEL SLIDER Wondering what the moon phase was on the day you were born? Or when the next supermoon will happen? Use the precision control panel to scrub backward and forward through time. The entire solar system and moon phase engine will smoothly animate to reflect the exact celestial state of any date and time you choose. DISCOVER THE COSMOS Expand your knowledge with a massive library of scientifically accurate, lesser-known facts. Learn about the bizarre orbital mechanics of Jupiter's outer moons, the metal snow on Venus, or the true scale of the Martian canyons.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: EarthPhase at 5.0 against Daimyo Clock's 4.0. Daimyo Clock's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, ratings volume, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. EarthPhase sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Daimyo Clock asks for nothing beyond the download.
EarthPhase holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.
| Parameter | Daimyo Clock | EarthPhase |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (1 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 37 months | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 18.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 40 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Douglas Hildum | Nathan Coleman |
Customer experience
Daimyo Clock
EarthPhase
In-app purchases
Daimyo Clock
No in-app purchases
EarthPhase
- Tip$0.99
- Tip$4.99
Questions
Is Daimyo Clock free?
Is EarthPhase free?
Which has better reviews, Daimyo Clock or EarthPhase?
Do Daimyo Clock or EarthPhase have ads?
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