POLARIE U vs ShinkansenView
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Variable rotation speeds
- Custom rotation speed settings
- Camera shutter control
- Shoot-move-shoot function
- Accurate star tracking
- Bracketed imaging for HDR
- Night vision light
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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.
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.
- Near real-time map display
- Detailed train information
- Real-time timetables
- Multilingual support
- Route filtering
- Customizable time simulation
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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
Verdict
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
Both are free to download. ShinkansenView sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. POLARIE U asks for nothing beyond the download.
POLARIE U ships an update every 2 months, ShinkansenView fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | POLARIE U | ShinkansenView |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 25 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Vixen Co.,Ltd. | YUUSUKE HARASAWA |
Customer experience
POLARIE U
ShinkansenView
In-app purchases
POLARIE U
No in-app purchases
ShinkansenView
- Remove Ads$2.99









