Latté Locator is a simple, nicely laid out Starbucks finder app for Windows Phone. Latté Locator will not only discern the closest Starbucks but also map out directions to get you to that next cup of joe and pull up contact information for that particular café.
What makes the app unique though is where it gets its data. It’s not scrapping it from Google or Bing like other apps, but rather it is connecting directly to the Starbucks server via their private API. Think of how 6tag and Instance work with Instagram, and you have the same model for Latté Locator. The result? Highly accurate information and no “noise”. Throw in a nice UI with some cool features and we like what we see.
Features
Latté Locator has the ability to pin locations to your Windows Phone Start Screen and share locations over social networks, email or messaging. The clean user interface gives the app a comfortable feel and if you need to track down a Starbuck’s, Latté Locator is an attractive option to consider. (Having said that, the wide Tile could use some graphic help, as the image is off-center and not very appealing).
The main pages for Latté Locator are brief but to the point. The opening page lists the Starbuck’s Cafes in your area detailing the distance from your location, the address of the Starbucks and features the café offers. It uses your phone's geolocation to pinpoint location, though you can of course disable that and do it manually.
You also have a “More” page that will send you to the help section, the About page, and an in-app purchase option to remove the ads ($.99).
Settings are accessible through a control button at the bottom of the main page. Settings include options for your search radius and the number of Starbucks listed on the main page. You also have options to update your social network and view a map view of the Starbuck locations from the control buttons on the main pages.
Pulling up an individual Starbucks location will display more information on the café (address, phone number, etc.), a thumbnail map of the address, and information on available services at the location.
You also have the options to:
- Invite a friend to join you at the location
- Share the location
- Call the Starbucks
- Add the location in your Windows Phone contacts
- Pin the location to your Start Screen
- Generate driving directions through Bing
- Map the location on Bing maps.
A recent update brought Latté Locator to our attention and it comes across as a very capable, appealing Starbucks location finder. Speaking of which, if you've already tried Latté Locator and had issues getting the app to run correctly, the latest update (version 1.2.312.0) fixes those issues.
The Takeaway
Although Latté Locator doesn’t have Starbucks card support, since it’s the only app we know of for US residents pulling pure Starbucks data, the app is a worthy download for hunting down your favorite java spot. It’s unique, cleanly designed and free. Sounds good.
Latté Locator is a free, ad-supported app that is available for Windows Phone 8. You can remove the ads through an in-app purchase of $.99.
You can find your copy of Latté Locator here in the Windows Phone Store.
