TripIt for iPad: No More Blur

By Hootan Mahallati, Mobile Product Manager for TripIt

You know what's not cool? Blurry iPad apps. You camp out on the sidewalk for eight days to buy an iPad, ecstatically search iTunes for a dedicated iPad version of your favorite iPhone app, and.....your world is shattered; all you see is the iPhone app in the middle of the big, black canvas. Yes, you can enlarge the app to full-screen, but then all you get is maddening blurriness. You turn red with rage, and all of a sudden, you wonder how you can go on.

As a few of you have reminded us with recent releases of the TripIt iPhone app, we've been guilty of having a blurry app. Well, we here at TripIt really do listen to what you say, and today we're delighted to present to you our brand new TripIt iPad app! 

Now before you call Mom and weep uncontrollably with joy as you deliver this historic bit of news, let's have a quick heart-to-heart: this is the first in a series of upcoming releases that will see our iPad app catch up with our other apps in terms of functionality. Rather than wait to give you the big kahuna later on in the year, we thought we'd get this first version in your hands and hear what you think as we prepare the enhancements. Before you know it, a new version will be available with several enhancements, and we plan on keeping them coming. Cool?

With that out of the way, let's talk about the shiny new app you can use right now.

When you start up the app, you'll see a mix of the familiar and the new. On the left-hand side, you'll find the trusty, logical list of your trips that you can quickly scan. Click within a trip though, and a glorious detail page with a crisp, new design greets you. Given the additional space afforded by the iPad, you can accomplish most of your tasks, like sharing your trip or launching directions to an address, with just a few clicks on the details page. 

But wait, there's more! What would a TripIt for iPad app be without huge maps? Cue the music: glance over to the top of the page and you'll see a "Maps" button. Go ahead, click it. What you'll see is a map displaying all of your trip plans with stylized pins that you can tap for a quick preview of specific points in your itinerary. While the default view zooms out just enough to show you your entire itinerary, you can swipe and pinch to pan across and zoom in for more detail.

Our iPad app is a universal binary, which is geek-speak for two birds, one stone. In practical terms, this means that if you already have v2.5 of our iPhone app installed on your iPhone and later sync your iPad with iTunes, each device will launch the app designed for it. The reverse is true as well. In summary, install TripIt once wherever you want and the rest is taken care of.

You can purchase the app for free, or if you're the type of person who fast forwards your DVR through commercials, we have an ad-free option for you too in the paid section.

We are all very excited about our first iPad app and hope that you are too. Thank you for your patience as we roll out lots more very soon. As always, please share the joy by tweeting, Facebook-ing, and sending telegrams to your friends. Of course, keep those comments coming!

Oh, and those of you who gave us four stars in iTunes and promised a fifth if we gave you an iPad app, we're watching! 

Comments

[Javier Martinez]

Good!,

But there is a problem with the iPad version; whe can't Sign In with a Google Apps Account.

Regards,
Javier

[Teach42]

No Points Tracker??

Need to get that in there. Would be incredibly useful.

[Joseph Thornley]

I love the new app. What you've introduced here is very useful. Including the one button option to email my trip plans to someone who is not yet on TripIt.

You've made an already indispensable app even better.

I'm really looking forward to future enhancements.

[Graham]

is this available to AMEX Platinum members as well? will the AMEX version be updated to be a universal app as well?

[Tonya]

Too bad it won't load without logging into iTunes through a computer. Some of us only have an iPad and don't have that option. I would purchase the ad-free version if I knew it would load.

[Barb]

I'm having no problems with my iPad version, and am thrilled to have it! I've been using iTrip for well over a year and feel it's indispensable!

[Angel]

Hmmm...Why isn't the pro version an app. I don't want to sign into the computer to modify my trip. I won't keep the pro membership past the free trial if I have to use my computer at all.

[Sean]

Now you just need to make a version for the Blackberry Playbook... :)

[sddjd]

Not sure if I'm missing something, but is it not possible to sync past trips as well? I'm able to do this with Travel Tracker, which points to Tripit. Should this not be available via the native app?

[@rlux]

A little confused -- I pay $$ a year for TripIt Pro and I have to pay more for an ad-free iPad app? Shouldn't TripIt Pro users get a free app?

[Mike Woodbury]

Please bring the pro features into the iPad app. If I have to sign into the full site to access these features that I pay for, why do I need the app? Thanks.

[Laura]

Why can't we sign in via Google?

[Dallas]

Yes, I too am waiting to be able to sign in with Google as I do for my iPhone app. Really annoying to not be able to access the app; I have no interest in creating a separate password for TripIt--that's the whole point of two-step verification through Google (I don't need to have a bunch of separate passwords for different accounts).

[Snow]

I also request that we be able to sign in via google. I will not use the TripIt iPad app until that is an option.

[Kevin]

For those with platinum Amex card, you can download the iPad trip it application and sign in with your same email address and you I'll be recognized as having a pro account!!!

[Georgebaz]

I would like to join those travelers on this blog who need to be able to edit the itinerary on the iPad, without logging into a computer. We don't carry it around, this is the whole point!

[sdtucker]

I would love to be able to praise you ont he hard work put in to the app and the value it provides... unfortunately my Tripit account is tied to google - so I am unable to use the ipad app. As soon as that is completed, I will certainly be back to post what i know will be very positive feedback on the app. Thanks.

[Mark Jones]

My version crashes after sign in, despite deleting reinstalling etc. And I lost my paid version in the process! Disappointing.

[high heels]

I would love to be able to praise you ont he hard work put in to the app and the value it provides... unfortunately my Tripit account is tied to google - so I am unable to use the ipad app.

[Rob H]

Compared to the functionality of WorldMate, TripIt is still way behind. I won't be leaving WorldMate anytime soon.

[Pat]

Why doesn't the detail page include the DATES of the flights? That is very important when you have multiple flights in one trip.

[Ben garrick]

Can't wait for a google sign-in for the iPad app... Till then will have to use the web or my android phone.

[Shauna]

The login screen looks lovely, hope there's google support soon so we can log in and see the rest :)

[John]

Why don't my Maps and Directions items show up on my iPad app but they do on my iPhone?

[f]

here's a tip - don't worry about how blurry it is, worry about the functionality. you dropped directions and maps - that's no good. it renders your app useless to power users. back to the drawing board...