DOWNTOWN Magazine vs Pinion Smart.Shift
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
DOWNTOWN Magazine
Explore urban mobility with exciting stories, honest reviews, and interactive content. Access all issues for free, read offline, and enjoy exclusive early access to new articles. Experience content designed for digital, available in English and German.
- Early access to articles
- Offline reading capability
- Completely free content
- Interactive digital format
- Bilingual (English/German)
- Quality reviews of urban bikes
- Inspiring essays on mobility
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DOWNTOWN is urban mobility in its most beautiful form: exciting stories, honest reviews, interactive format. Download the free app now and access all issues for free. ** KEY FEATURES ** Early Access Read our latest tests and reviews before everyone else: most of our articles are first available exclusively on the app. Read Offline Download once, always carry it with you and read everywhere. You can even read offline. Completely Free Hard to believe: not only the app itself but also all of the content is completely free. No hidden costs. We promise. Interactive Reading Experience We'll leave half-heartedly digitalized print media to other apps. Our issues are designed exclusively for the digital format and are packed with interactive features and videos. English and German Experience DOWNTOWN in the language of your choice: we publish all issues in German and in English. ** WHAT'S INSIDE? ** Quality Reviews Our experienced team tests the most exciting urban bikes and urban mobility products for each issue. We write honest and detailed reviews to help you make well-informed buying decisions. Riding time is living time The topic of future mobility is often reduced to a rational and functional topic. For us, it’s different. We combine hard facts with emotion: adventure, experience and fun as integral parts of your everyday life. Inspiring Essays Mobility is so much more than riding your bicycle. We want to show you the sides of it that inspire you to head off into new adventures and perhaps get you to think. You are DOWNTOWN We have made it our aim to transform cities into something more livable. We want to clear up misconceptions and spread excitement and inspiration instead. We want to present you with solutions and alternatives. You have a central role in this. Full of Surprises We love variety as much as you do. That's why you want to continue surprising and inspiring you. Issue after issue, year after year. Are you ready? For any feedback, feature suggestions or if you need help, feel free to reach out to us at hello@downtown-mag.com.
Pinion Smart.Shift
Enhance your cycling experience with this app, offering customizable shifting behavior, charge status monitoring, and button assignment adjustments. It provides advanced features like setting a starting gear and semi-automatic shifting for a personalized ride. Stay updated with software improvements and utilize service tools for optimal performance.
- Adapt shifting behavior to driving profile
- Monitor Smart.Shift charge status
- Adjust E-Trigger button assignment
- Set starting gear with Start.Select
- Utilize semi-automatic shifting with Pre.Select
- Receive software updates and notifications
- Access service tools for reliability
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Improve your Pinion shifting experience with additional functions with the Smart.Shift app! Connect your Pinion Smart.Shift components with this app and use all the advantages: - Adapt the shifting behavior to your driving profile and use the full range of functions of your Pinion Smart.Shift technology. - See the charge status of your Smart.Shift at a glance. - Adjust the button assignment of the TE1 E-Trigger to your needs. - Take advantage of Start.Select and set your starting gear.* - Use Pre.Select for semi-automatic shifting and select your cadence.* - Stay up to date and benefit from important software updates and notifications. - Use our service tools for permanently reliable function. *Only available if Smart.Shift has speed information available (sensor or system information). Note: E-bikes with Smart.Shift, where the settings can be made via the display of the e-bike, are not compatible with the app.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: DOWNTOWN Magazine at 5.0 against Pinion Smart.Shift's 3.0. DOWNTOWN Magazine also leads on iOS requirement (8.0 vs 13.0). Pinion Smart.Shift's advantage is update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (4 vs 1). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
DOWNTOWN Magazine holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 4 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
DOWNTOWN Magazine ships an update every 5 months, Pinion Smart.Shift every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | DOWNTOWN Magazine | Pinion Smart.Shift |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | 3.0 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 4 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 6 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 33 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 41Publishing GmbH | Pinion GmbH |
Customer experience
DOWNTOWN Magazine
Pinion Smart.Shift
In-app purchases
DOWNTOWN Magazine
No in-app purchases
Pinion Smart.Shift
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is DOWNTOWN Magazine free?
Is Pinion Smart.Shift free?
Which has better reviews, DOWNTOWN Magazine or Pinion Smart.Shift?
Do DOWNTOWN Magazine or Pinion Smart.Shift have ads?
Which is updated more often, DOWNTOWN Magazine or Pinion Smart.Shift?
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