Comparison

POLARIE U vs ShinkansenView

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

POLARIE U

This app enhances night sky photography by controlling a star tracker. It offers various rotation speeds, camera shutter control, and advanced imaging modes for creating stunning time-lapses and HDR images of celestial objects.

Highlights
  • Variable rotation speeds
  • Custom rotation speed settings
  • Camera shutter control
  • Shoot-move-shoot function
  • Accurate star tracking
  • Bracketed imaging for HDR
  • Night vision light
Features
Read full description

The POLARIE U app is an app dedicated to the POLARIE U star tracker offered by Vixen. Shooting night skies is easy if only the POLARIE U. With the use of this app, however, you will enjoy creating a time-lapse movie of a higher level. Major features - Various speeds of rotations. (10x of the sidereal tracking rate at the maximum.) - The rotation speeds are available to set in the Custom Mode. - Control a camera shutter with an optionally available shutter release cable. - The motion of a POLARIE U can be linked with the shutter control (Shoot-move-shoot function). - Tracks the motion of stars accurately and the stars appear no trails in long exposures. - The bracketed imaging mode is available. It is effective in capturing fainter celestial objects such as diffuse and emission nebulae and it allows for creating HDR images using a stack of different exposures. A photo with a dynamic range wider than by a single shot will be a result. - The night vision light is available to use with either red light color or incandescent light color. - The screen colors are available for daytime use and nighttime use.

About

ShinkansenView

Visualize Shinkansen train positions on a map in near real-time. Access detailed train information, view timetables, and filter by route. Supports multiple languages and allows for custom time simulations.

Highlights
  • Near real-time map display
  • Detailed train information
  • Real-time timetables
  • Multilingual support
  • Route filtering
  • Customizable time simulation
Features
Read full description

Know the "now" of the Shinkansen on a map! ShinkansenView displays approximate train positions based on standard timetables. Tap a train to see its timetable. Perfect for travelers and railway fans! [Main Features] - Near real-time map display: Check Shinkansen trains across Japan in near real time, color-coded by type. - Detailed train info: Tap an icon for train name, number, current status, next station, etc. - Real-time timetable: View all stops and scheduled times to see where the train is running or stopping now. - Multilingual support: Japanese, English, Simplified Chinese, Korean, with easy in-app switching. - Route filter: Choose lines like Tokaido, Sanyo, Tohoku, Hokuriku, etc. - Customizable time: Set any date/time to simulate past or future operations. - Easy operation: Intuitive interface; search trains from a list and see their location on the map instantly. [Recommended For] - Shinkansen trip or business travel planners - Railway fans wanting more than basic transfer info - Overseas visitors curious about Japan’s rail system - Families who want to enjoy Shinkansen with kids Experience a more convenient, more exciting Shinkansen journey with ShinkansenView! Download now and feel the dynamism of Japan’s main artery! *Note: Position/timetable data is calculated from public timetables and may differ from actual operation. Delay info not supported.*

Screenshots

POLARIE U3 screens
ShinkansenView3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: POLARIE U at none against ShinkansenView's 1. POLARIE U also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 17.0). ShinkansenView's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price, review sentiment and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. ShinkansenView sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. POLARIE U asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

POLARIE U ships an update every 2 months, ShinkansenView fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
POLARIE U versus ShinkansenView: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPOLARIE UShinkansenView
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS11.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB25 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVixen Co.,Ltd.YUUSUKE HARASAWA

Customer experience

POLARIE U

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

ShinkansenView

Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

POLARIE U

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

ShinkansenView

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$2.99

Questions

Is POLARIE U free?
POLARIE U is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ShinkansenView free?
ShinkansenView is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do POLARIE U or ShinkansenView have ads?
ShinkansenView shows ads; POLARIE U does not.
Which is updated more often, POLARIE U or ShinkansenView?
POLARIE U ships an update every 2 months, and ShinkansenView fortnightly. Most recently, POLARIE U was updated on November 3, 2026 and ShinkansenView on November 6, 2026.

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