The built-in iPhone calendar client is great if you're using iCal or Outlook on the PC to sync to. However, if you prefer Google's online calendar for its more open and free collaboration features, then you're probably going to want a good way to view and work with your Google calendar on your iOS device. That's where Calendars comes in. Calendars is a native Google calendar client app for the iPhone. It syncs directly with Google Calendar and doesn't interfere with the built in Calendar in any way. You can see all of your sync'd calendars right in the app and of course you have the ability to schedule, search, edit, move around or delete your appointments. The nice part of using this App vs. the website is that it works both online and offline. So you can still see your calendar when you don't have a connection to the internet.
SMS Notifications, Invitations and More
One of the cool features of this app is the ability to have it send you SMS text message reminders of upcoming appointments. Also unlike the native Calendar/MobileMe you can invite people to your appointments. I never understood why iCal allows this for MobileMe calendars, but not the iPhone calendar??? You get the same kinds of views including Month, Week, List and Day views. In Month view you get a cool unique feature that allows you to physically drag an appointment from one day to another just like you can on your computer. Very cool.
Although I'm not a Google Calendar power user, I can definitely see that if I were this would be the App for me. It's fast elegant and does exactly those things I would expect a calendar to do. My only gripe with it is if Google is not your only calendar, then you would have to look at both the built-in and Calendars App to make sure you're open for an appointment. Otherwise this is THE GOOGLE CALENDAR APP!
You can get Calendars here from the 
UPDATE: The question I'm starting to get here and on Twitter is "why use this app over the built-in Google Calendar support in the native iOS Calendar?" Good question! While the native iOS calendar does allow you to bring your Google Calendar in and see it along side your other calendars (and that's a great thing), just like with MobileMe calendars Apple doesn't allow you to invite others to meetings via the iOS calendar. Also with this App you'll instantly see not only your calendar, but any other Google calendars you're subscribed/shared to without any additional setup.
Calendars
Calendars is a native Google Calendar client for your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. It works both online and offline.
- Igor Zhadanov
- Get on App Store
- $6.99
All info was collected on 6th July, 2010 when the app was reviewed.
About Terry White
Terry is the co-author of The Best Selling "The iPhone Book" 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th editions. He has been active in the industry for over 25 years and is the founder and president of MacGroup-Detroit, Inc., Michigan's largest Macintosh Users Group, host of the Adobe Creative Suite Podcast and a technology writer - Terry White Tech Blog.
I’m trying to understand why I would want this over using CALDAV and the native IOS calendar application with google Calendar?
I can sync over the air.
It’s available offline
I can move items between calendars as required. e.g. Work (exchange) and Google (Private)
I get normal calendar alarm reminders
Am i missing something?
The native iOS calendar doesn’t allow you to invite others to an appointment (ie. schedule a meeting) with any other calendar than MS Exchange (not even MobileMe, which again is odd since you CAN do it in iCal on the Mac.)
Hi terry,
We run a Snow Leopard Server. It looks like we meeting invitations are now supported by OS4. I have not upgraded my phone yet (OS4 is a bit too slow for our old 3G phones.) However we have upgraded several of our employees to iPhone 4 and we hope to be leveraging this new feature soon. Have you found issues with OS4 supporting CalDav?
Hi Terry,
Curently I’am using the built a calandar in combination with ms exchange push technology. But i am looking for an calendar app which combine the build in and the app itself. Do you know some that can do this ?
Olivier
(i am looking for this app because you can’t add a private appointments in the buid in calendar and the whole company can read my private appointments)
Hi Terry,
Just a couple o weeks ago I was looking for an app as you described in your article now. Using google I’ve found that if you configure correctly Gsync via the mobile browser of your iPhone/iPod Touch it’s possible to see all the shared or subscribed calendars of the gmail account on the built calendar of iOS, and If I can remember correctly it’s possible too to invide other people at the same event ( I’ll check this evening for this one ).
Regards.
Nicola
This is a good app. The best app I’ve found which has totally replaced my iPhone calendar is Pocket Informant. The functionality and customization is mind boggling.
I wish they would allow something like agendus. The ability to actually do something with a month view (Icons to indicate travel or meetings) A month view of dots is absolutely worthless and you have to click on each one to see what it is. I want a calendar that when someone says what do you look like a month out I can just hit the button look at the month view and know whats going on. Alas, Steve defines my user experience and in his mind squares and dots are the way to go.
Hi i was just wondering why i would pay for this app when theres a free app of this? What’s so special about this one?
Is it possible to dial from an appointment? The native iPhone app does not let you click on a number and auto dial, like you can from an e-mail or web page site.
Nope.
Need calendar that allows repeats like every first Tuesday of the month, also minutes other than the defaults
Need app like Palm that allows repeats like first Tuesday of every month and minutes for items instead of defaults (on the hour, 15, 30, 45inute increments).
Thanks