Those of you who use RailBandit app (in the App Store since 2010) probably dont need to be convinced. Here are the main features of this app:
1. Includes official New York subway map, licensed by MTA. It is designed so that you have more screen space for the map than you will find in most other apps.
2. The fastest offline train trip planner you will find in the app store. Plan trips, which include up to two connections between any two subway stations, any time of the day, using the shortest time or fewer connections criteria. The app will find the next train for your trip even if its is several hours away. It means no "no service available at this time" messages. Also includes schedule for JFK AirTrain, integrated with subway trains schedules. The planner works offline, which means you can use it even while being underground.
3. No need to type in anything: departure and arrival stations can be selected with exactly four taps on the map. Also, with just two taps you can see train departures from any station, ordered by time or train number.
4. The trip planner lets you adjust transfer time to your exact preference. Are you a slow walker, or a fast walker? You can make transfer times bigger or smaller if needed. You will not find this feature in any other app.
5. See every connection and every stop along your trip with corresponding time, along with the route diagram.
6. Need to find an alternative route? Turn off the trains you dont want to take in the schedules list, and the app will give you the list of best alternatives.
7. All schedules are downloadable and stored on your device. No need to reinstall a new version of the same app to get the schedule update. It also means no waiting time while waiting for the latest schedules. They become available as soon as MTA posts them.
8. The included official subway map, as is indicated by MTA, is not geographically accurate. Yet, our app lets you see your own location or any custom location on this map - accurately. Enter any address or a landmark name (e.g. "Little Italy") and the app will do its magic to show there the place is on the map. All entered locations are saved automatically for quick reference.
9. You can bookmark your frequently used stations; the app saves most recently used stations and trips for you automatically.
10. See official subway alerts as they are shown on MTA screens (Internet connection required). The requested alerts are saved on the device, which means you can view them later underground.
A few final words. This is version 1.0 of this app for iPhone. Everything should work as described. It has been tested on both retina and non-retina displays and works on devices with 8GB of memory and more. However, if you notice a few glitches here and there, keep in mind that this is the first version. The app will become more polished, and a number of new features will be added down the road.