AB Contact Map vs Sonar LiDAR
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
AB Contact Map
Visualize your address book contacts as map annotations. Easily select multiple contacts, view them side-by-side with the map on iPad, and manage pins with undo/redo functionality. Supports various address book sources and integrates with other apps.
- Annotate multiple contacts at once
- Side-by-side contact and map view (iPad)
- Zoom level selection
- Support for multiple address books
- Undo/Redo functionality
- iCloud synchronization
- Integration with third-party apps
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The app that shows address book contacts as map annotations. Features: • Annotate more than one contact at once. You can select or deselect all contact group members by just one button click. • Side-by-side view (iPad only) of the address book and the map. You can highlight a contact’s map annotation by tapping the address in the contact’s detail page. Vice versa you can show the address book page by selecting a map annotation and tapping the disclosure button. • Zoom level selection from the toolbar and visualization of the currently selected zoom level in the map. • Location look-up is done using the Apple service. • Setting a pin for a contact also applies to duplicates (contacts with the same name and addresses). • Support for multiple address books (Local, iCloud, CardDAV, Exchange). • Multiple level Undo / Redo via device shake (iPhone/iPod/iPad) or long press onto contacts toolbar (iPad only). • iCloud synchronization between multiple devices (*). • Integration of third party navigation apps, web browsers, message apps, phone, facetime (*). • Choose between simple 2 color mode or extended 8 color mode (*). • Manually set place marks by dropping pins and dragging them to the desired location (*). • Override contact’s address locations by dragging a pin to the desired location (*). • Searching / Filtering of contacts and place marks (*). • Lists of Pins order by distance to map center or current location (*). (*) Requires the extension pack to be purchased.
Sonar LiDAR
This app transforms your iPhone Pro's LiDAR sensor into a real-time sonar, providing audio and haptic feedback about your surroundings. It detects walls, furniture, steps, and doorways, aiding navigation in familiar environments.
- Real-time sonar feedback
- Audio and haptic alerts
- Obstacle detection (walls, furniture, steps)
- Posture guidance
- Optional night vision depth view
- VoiceOver support
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IMPORTANT: This app works EXCLUSIVELY on iPhone Pro (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17) with a LiDAR sensor. Standard models without LiDAR are not supported. Sonar Lidar — feel your surroundings. Sonar Lidar turns the LiDAR sensor on your iPhone Pro (or iPad Pro) into a real-time sonar. As you point your phone ahead, it translates distance into sound and vibration, giving you instant feedback about what's around you. What it detects • Walls and obstacles in front of you • Low furniture — sofas, benches, tables • Steps and drop-offs ("cliffs") • Narrow passages and doorways How it works • Audio sonar: beeps get faster as you get closer, panning left/right toward the obstacle • Haptic feedback: feel the proximity through vibration • Posture guide: a gentle tone helps you hold the phone at the right angle • Night vision: an optional on-screen depth view • The screen stays awake while scanning Made to fit you Simple, essential controls up front — distances, sonar spread, low-obstacle and drop sensitivity — with an "Advanced Settings" section for fine-tuning. Full VoiceOver support. Important: Sonar Lidar is an experimental support tool. It does NOT replace the white cane, a guide dog, medical aids, or your own attention. Use it only in known environments and always stay alert. Requires a device with a LiDAR sensor. We strongly recommend testing the app in a safe, known environment to find the best tilt angle and sensitivity setting (adjustable in Settings) for your height and walking style.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Sonar LiDAR at 5.0 against AB Contact Map's 2.8. Sonar LiDAR also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). AB Contact Map's advantage is ratings volume (20 vs 1) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 16). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. AB Contact Map sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Sonar LiDAR sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Sonar LiDAR holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AB Contact Map has 20 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
AB Contact Map ships an update every 2 months, Sonar LiDAR weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | AB Contact Map | Sonar LiDAR |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.8 (20 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 45.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 20 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 16 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 7 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | mecking.net | Federico Di Francesco |
Bugs and requests
AB Contact Map
Reported bugs
16 issues- App crashes on launch or during use
- Contacts fail to import or load
- Pins don't display address info when tapped
- App freezes and becomes unresponsive
- Address boxes appear randomly and can't be removed
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- Contact info persists on screen incorrectly
- Accidental pin deletion with no undo
- App loses all pins after closing
- Incompatibility with iOS 5, iOS 6, iOS 9 updates
- Black screen on reopening app
- Inaccurate geocoding of UK postcodes
- Contacts in groups don't display properly
- Select All function doesn't work in search
- Performance degradation with 1500+ contacts
- App crashes when using Route feature
- Accidental color changes when adding pins
Requested features
20 requests- Ability to edit contacts directly from map
- Pin/contact info display on tap
- Directions integration with maps
- More pin color options
- Route planning between multiple contacts
Show 15 moreShow fewer
- Manual pin dropping capability
- Contact notes access and editing
- Sync settings across iOS devices
- Backup and restore functionality
- Exchange account contact group support
- Distance radius in miles (not just km)
- Call and text functionality from app
- Email/text bulk export by radius
- Street view copy and share
- Color key/legend for pin meanings
- Lock pins to prevent accidental changes
- Re-sync without full reinstall
- Support for multiple addresses per contact
- Ability to send app/map to coworkers
- Better integration with iOS address book
Sonar LiDAR
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
AB Contact Map
- AB Contact Map Extension Pack$5.99
Sonar LiDAR
- Offer me a coffee$0.99
- Offer me a beer.$3.99









