0:58 Editors' note, May 21, 2015: This post has been updated with more information. Some time ago, Google released its calendar app for iPhone, something Android users have been able to use for a long time. Loved by many, the app has undergone a few redesigns over its lifespan on Android, but the iOS version matches up almost exactly to the current experience on Android. It's true the calendar app that comes with your iPhone or Android phone will do you just fine if you need to know what's on your agenda, but they often don't do much more than that. The iOS calendar app, while simple and easy to use, doesn't give you many options to personalize it. And with most Androids, the preinstalled calendar is often a bland, unintuitive app built by your phone's manufacturer. Google Calendar on iOS is definitely good news, but both app stores give you plenty of options to replace your default calendar. From your main calendar view, right click the appointment, meeting, or event, point to Categorize, and then click a color category. From an open appointment, meeting, or event, look for the Categorize button on the ribbon, in the Tags group. I've rounded up some of the best of the bunch, focusing on calendars that pack a lot of style without sacrificing features to see how they measure up to Google Calendar. But let's start off with the newest addition first. Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET Google Calendar Free, and Google Calendar is old hat for many Android users, but not every Android smartphone comes with it. It was sorely missing for iOS for a long time, but now everyone can experience this well thought out time management app. One of the best things about it is that the layout and design is familiar if you already use Google Calendar on your computer and it has near feature parity on both smartphones. You can pick from a week, month, day and agenda view and each option gives you just enough information -- no more, no less. You can sync multiple Google calendars, and if you've designated specific colors for each of your calendars on the Web, you'll see the same colors in the app. Also, adding a new event is as easy as it is on your computer -- just pick the date and time, choose which calendar (if applicable) and add the correct details. What's great: Google Calendar carries over the same familiar design from the Web to your phone and it finally also works for iPhone. What's not: If you have a lot of events on your calendar, the weekly view can get too cluttered to see each event. ![]() You cannot yet use it for iPad. Screenshot by Sarah Mitroff/CNET Cal Free, and Cal is the prettiest app on this list, featuring colorful photo backgrounds intended to jazz up your boring calendar. Developed by Any.do, the company behind the sleek to-do app of the same name, Cal also sports a sleek, minimal design. Cal's greatest strength is showing off your daily agenda -- basically all of the to-dos, meetings, and appointments you have on your plate on one given date. When you launch the app, it automatically jumps to today's agenda, which shows all of your events and Any.do tasks in a chronological list. This is different from other calendar apps, which show an hourly timeline with blocks of time shaded for each appointment. Whether Cal's layout works for you or not is a matter of personal preference, but I find it easy to use. The only downside to Cal is the monthly view -- it's not informative, and you can't tell by just glancing at the screen how many events you have, or when they are. That makes scheduling a new event tough, because you have to tap each day to see your schedule. There's also no weekly view. What's great: The app's design is impressive, and the layout makes it easy to see what's on your agenda. What's not: There's no weekly view, and adding new events could be a lot more fluid. Screenshot by Sarah Mitroff/CNET Sunrise Free, Like Cal, Sunrise has a minimal, clutter-free look. The main view shows you a list of upcoming events in the next week with a minimized month view at the top. There's a small arrow at the bottom left, which helps you navigate -- just tap it at any time to jump back to the current date. There's also a weekly view, which shows three days at a time, with colorful blocked-off chunks of time for each event. Sunrise does its best to categorize your events, paying attention to the keywords you use to give each event a little icon. For instance, the word 'class' gets you an academic cap icon, while 'yoga' or 'workout' shows a dumbbell. It's a small touch designed to keep you organized. What's great: The clean design is appealing and clutter-free, and it includes several different views for checking your schedule. What's not: The monthly view is almost useless, as it doesn't show if you have any appointments scheduled on each day.
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