Here's a review that I wrote about the Yardian Pro controller.
Yardian Pro smart sprinkler controller review - The Gadgeteer
It was an easy swap out from the original controller. The app on my phone lets me control every zone. I have everything set to automatic. It gets hyper-local weather from the weather station in my back yard and adjusts watering according to temperature and rainfall. It can also retrieve our local watering restrictions (yes, there are watering restrictions in The Villages) and it waters appropriately.
It's pretty handy when I get quarterly maintenance on my system and I can turn on each zone from my phone as the tech goes around the yard. I can also turn zones on and off right from the controller. I won't go back to a manual system.