Air Observer vs Astro Pics
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Air Observer
This app helps diagnose Wi-Fi connection issues on iOS devices. It measures local Wi-Fi health and wide area connection to a server, helping users understand signal strength and potential interference.
- Diagnose Wi-Fi connection health
- Measure local Wi-Fi signal strength
- Assess wide area connection to server
- Identify wireless interference
- Differentiate Wi-Fi vs. Internet issues
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AirO is intended for technical and not-too-technical owners of Wi-Fi capable iOS devices. It displays the health of the Wi-Fi (“Local Area”) connection, and measures the characteristics of a “Wide Area” connection to a server deeper in the network. It can be used to answer questions like: • What’s wrong with my Wi-Fi today? • How strong is my Wi-Fi signal? • Is there evidence of wireless interference? • Is the problem in the Wi-Fi connection, or out on the Internet (or corporate network)? • Is the overall connection to the data center good enough to run my corporate apps?
Astro Pics
Explore stunning daily images of space with a beautiful photo viewer and automatic syncing across Apple devices. View breathtaking astronomy pictures on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch.
- Daily astronomy pictures
- Favorites syncing
- Apple Watch app
- New photo viewer
- Cross-device support
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*** Rated #1 Astronomy Picture of the Day app for iOS *** Meet the all new Astro Pics! Featuring a breathtaking new photo viewer and a redesigned Apple Watch app, powerful yet simple and delightful interactions, and automatic favorites syncing across your suite of iOS devices—the way it should be. Astro Pics is the best way to view Astronomy Picture of the Day on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch. Experience a new, breathtaking photo of our universe each day. ** FAVORITES SYNCING ** Experience your favorite Astronomy Picture by adding them to your favorites. And now you can enjoy your favorites across your suite of Apple devices featuring the all new automatic favorites sync. The way it should be. ** WATCH APP ** Explore Astro Pics on your Apple Watch and view the latest astronomy pictures on the go. Stay tuned for more updates! Astronomy Picture of the Day is a service of ASD at NASA/GSFC and Michigan Technological University
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Air Observer at 5.0 against Astro Pics's 4.4. Air Observer also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (100% vs 83%). Astro Pics's advantage is update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 28 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). On price, ratings volume, ads 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. Astro Pics sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Air Observer asks for nothing beyond the download.
Air Observer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 7 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Air Observer's written reviews are positive against 83% of Astro Pics's.
Air Observer ships an update every 28 months, Astro Pics every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Air Observer | Astro Pics |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better | 4.4 (7 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 83.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4 | 7 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 28 months | Every 5 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Peter Thornycroft | Type440 LLC |
Customer experience
Air Observer
Astro Pics
In-app purchases
Air Observer
No in-app purchases
Astro Pics
- AstroPics Premium$2.99
