It’s not often that I find an app that not only lives up to its promises and my expectations, but surpasses them. Elevate is something I wanted to try, but I never expected I’d enjoy it as much as I do.
Update: Congratulations to Elevate for being named as Apple’s 2014 Best iPhone App of the Year!
As a writer, I’m always looking for ways to strengthen my vocabulary, grammar, and overall skill. This can be a challenge, but I was surprised to see that Elevate, unlike alternatives such as Lumosity, focuses very strongly on building and maintaining these skills.
How does Elevate stack up against the competition? I tried Lumosity in the past, but it was way overhyped for what it offered. Sure, the games were entertaining, but it made me feel like I was doing it only because I was old and senile (which I’m not… I think). I’ll be the first to admit that I was skeptical about Elevate, but it is and continues to be so much more than what I expected.
As far as the games go, they don’t really feel like games at all. You really have to work at some of them, especially after you’ve played for a couple of days and Elevate learns your skill level. As someone who has been out of school for quite awhile, it actually feels good to be pushed into educational territory again. In essence, Elevate feels like the teacher who pushes you to do better because he/she knows you can.
For me, playing three games per day simply wasn’t enough. I wanted to experience everything Elevate had to offer, primarily because it’s so relevant to what I do on a daily basis, which is writing. I went ahead and plunked down $9.99 for the pro version, and I still don’t regret doing so. Even if you decide to pinch pennies and refrain from buying the monthly or yearly pro upgrade, Elevate won’t lose its usefulness.
Overall, if you’re looking for a “brain training” app that is a bit more tailored to exercising writing, reading, speaking, and listening skills, Elevate is a must-have. Whether you decide to stick with the free version or upgrade to a monthly or yearly subscription, the value is definitely worth it.
Elevate is available to download for free from the App Store and requires iOS 7.0 or later. It’s compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.
Related articles
- Apple’s top iPhone app of 2014 aims to be best brain-training game yet (mashable.com)
- Meet Elevate, Apple’s Pick For Best iPhone App Of The Year (businessinsider.com)
- Meet Apple’s iPhone app of the year: Elevate (usatoday.com)
Hello! If I buy this App will I be able to use the same subscription on both my iPhone and iPad? I am wondering about this, because the daily games are not synced across devices. Thank you.
Fantastic question! Unfortunately I’m not 100% sure of the answer, though. I would think that the app would sync via iCloud and both devices would show the subscription as a purchased feature. It might be worth contacting the folks at Elevate to be sure. 🙂
Subscriptions are synced across all devices. That includes switching from iOS to Android and viceversa 🙂
Awesome! Makes an incredible app even better! 🙂