“Search Around” is a universal app developed by Yves Nasan available for Apple devices at a price point of $0.99 USD. Search Around uses your location to find a select number of places around you. While the radius of places it finds is not disclosed, it appears to be within 1 to 3 miles of your current location. You also have the option of adding a category to the default list (seen below). In our tests, typing in “grocery store” did in fact display nearby Whole Foods and Fry’s, in addition to a 7-Eleven which one may argue is not a TRUE grocery store.
The default list of places that can be expanded fairly easily.
When clicking on the different categories at various times, different locations of shops and parks would be shown then not shown. Again, this could have had to do with the “radius” of the search (i.e. my personal location being more precise cuts down on the exterior radius).
Street names blurred for privacy.
Overall the app is very simple, fast, and easy to use, but even at $0.99 is it justified? With other apps like Yelp, Urbanspoon, etc (which I use often) that do the same thing and more I would have to say no for the moment. There isn’t enough to differentiate it from these other apps. If the app was free with ad support, I would recommend having it as another tool in your phone “arsenal” for locating places on the go. This app has all the right makings, but needs the “secret sauce” that will set it apart from the others.
Clicking on a location brings up relevant information.
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