News App FaceOff

Newsreaders have caught up to the iPhone/iPod Touch.  I am a news junkie and I prefer tapping a single button and going straight to the news rather than going through the clunky process of launching Safari and typing in a URL.

With that in mind, I have installed applications on my iPod Touch that accomplish just this.  They are all available for free in the App Store, so it’s just a question of your tastes as to which one you prefer. 

Keep in mind that all these applications are fundamentally RSS feed clients and require a Wi-Fi or data connection in order to get newsfeeds.

 
BBCReader –

This reader was licensed to a third-party and it shows.  I expected something better from the BBC.  Not the best reader as it takes a while to download the articles (particularly the pictures), but I do like the layout.  All the top stories are presented in front of the user with different tabs focusing on different geographical locations.  Once a headline is tapped, the program goes to the BBC News web page in which the article appears.

The tabs along the top allow the user to view news relating to a certain geographic area (the Americas, Africa, etc.).  The other tabs along the bottom consist of a Picture/Slide series in which the BBC showcases the photos from their articles, a History in which you can review any articles you’ve already looked at, and an Info section, which shows various data about your downloads, allows you to clear the cache and allows you to flip a “switch” to allow you to read downloaded articles offline (which seems a bit inconvenient for me.  Should it do that automatically if no Wi-Fi or data signal is detected?).  There is also a More section which shows an expanded network of story categories.

What I like – The layout.  The quality of the reporting.
What could use improvement – The slow speed to download.  The need to flick a switch to view offline.

3 of 5 stars

NYTimes –

The New York Times reader is slicker, faster, and more integrated with the main website than the BBC version (as proven by  HYPERLINK "https://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/iphonefaq.html" this helpful web page on how to use the app).  The layout is very similar and that makes this among the best newsreaders of those reviewed.

The Times app only downloads the text and pictures (as opposed to entire web pages) from their servers so the information stays available offline until the next time a Wi-Fi or data connection is available (which also prevents the unnecessary use of device resources).  The tabbed sections along the bottom are divided into Latest News, Business, Opinion, Photos and More.  Obviously, Business is business news, Opinion consists of editorial columns and photos are from the articles.  As with the BBC newsreader, the More tab gives an expanded set of categories in which to find news (the categories can also be edited to the user’s preference).

On the top right of the app, there is a search button which performs an extremely fast search.  I typed in “Obama” and was amazed at how the listing of articles seemed to appear virtually instantaneously.

In short, this app seems to circumvent all the shortcomings of the BBC app.  The only reason I can see not to download it is that you prefer Fox News.

What I like – speed of delivery.  Good quantity and depth of information.  Good layout.  The ability to read offline.
What could use improvement – Could use video, but that’s nitpicking.

4.5 of 5 stars

Mobile News –

The AP newsreader has a similar layout to the previous two, with two significant differences of note.  First, certain sections such as sports and showbiz offer video as well as photos.  Second, the Info section offers more feedback and interactivity with the host news agency than any of the previous apps.

In the tabs at the bottom, the categories offered are Top News, Local, Sports, Showbiz and More (but they are customizable in the More section).  There is also a menu along the top that the user can scroll across to get different sub-categories of each section.

The speed of downloading articles is excellent (even the streaming videos) and as with the Times app, only text, photos and video are downloaded and fit into the client frame.  You can save (bookmark) each story, send it to a friend via e-mail or text message or send a report about a story (presumably to AP).

This application is on par with the NY Times and may be good for those who want the news with the least amount of spin.

What I like – Everything about the Times app, plus video.
What could use improvement – Can’t find anything.

5 of 5 stars

NPR Mobile –

NPR Mobile is actually the simplest of the lot in terms of configuration, but it offers something the others don’t: the chance to listen to broadcast segments from NPR.  It does offer a wide range of searchable topics and allows the user to bookmark pages.  It’s interesting how a text synopsis of every broadcast is available, yet offers no pictures or video (which allows for a quick download of the synopsis).

If I were to make a complaint about NPR Mobile, it would be the fact that it doesn’t seem to be able to broadcast the live version of NPR.  While the searching and listening capabilities are great, the first thing that this sort of application should allow you to do is listen to NPR live.

What I like – Simple, customizable interface.  Good searching capabilities.
What could use improvement – No pictures or video (I consider that a minus, but it depends on taste).  Can’t listen to NPR live.

4 of 5 stars

USA Today –

I saved this one for last because it’s the most fun.  USA Today is the cotton candy of newspapers and their iPhone/iTouch application keeps with that tradition.  It would be blasphemous otherwise.

I do like the fact that the home page immediately shows the local weather.  The sections offered are Headlines, Scores, Weather, Pictures and Snapshots.  Each section has a scrollbar bar up top for sub-sections.  The user is capable of sharing articles via e-mail, text, or Twitter.

The articles do seem to take slightly longer to load than with NY Times or AP, but that could be because of the greater attention to layout.  There is an informational button on the lower left for changing settings (although the only setting you can change is the weather), information, contacting AP for various reasons and sharing the application with friends via e-mail or Twitter.  On the lower right there is a refresh button to update the newsfeeds.

USA Today is a very pretty application that shows a lot of stuff in many colors.  However, it’s all style with relatively little substance.  If you want news done your way rather than theirs, get either the AP or NY Times app.

What I like – Very hip and pretty.  Shows weather on the home page.
What I don’t like – Not customizable.  Can get the same or better news with other apps.

3.5 of 5 stars

Conclusion–
Any of these applications would be more than adequate for access to the news.  It’s really a question of personal taste and certainly not a question of price.  The best recommendation I can give is to try them all and find the one you like.