Disqus
There was a rumour that Sirius XM Satellite Radio would be coming to BlackBerry – lo and behold, it’s now available for subscribers to download from their devices at www.siriusxm.com/blackberry. Bold, Storm, Tour, Curve 8500 and 8900-series BlackBerrys are all compatible. As expected, you can browse through upwards of 120 channels, categories, and favourites, as well has designate new favourites and see what’s on other channels without switching. The app works over both 3G and Wi-Fi, but you’ll probably see the best (i.e. lag-free) performance over Wi-Fi.
Sirius is a big name in high-quality satellite radio, and if their performance on iPhone is any indication, I trust the BlackBerry app will do pretty well, too. Mobile music apps overall have become increasingly popular over the last year or so, but they all have different takes on addressing the same desire – Slacker caches tunes locally for offline access, 7digital allows for DRM-free per-track purchasing, Thumbplay hinges on a robust desktop client, Shazam ropes in purchases through music ID, and Kik will eventually bait users in with free, on-demand plays. Pricing schemes are a big differentiator; Sirius in particular depends on a subscription model, with options available for both internet radio ($2.99/month) and satellite ($9.99/month and up) customers. Really, the BlackBerry app seems like a good option for those who already have the full car kit and want just a little bit of extra mobility with their music.
You can find more information about Sirius for BlackBerry here, and even sign up for a free 7-day trial. Plans are over here.
[via Sirius]
About The Author
Simon Sage
Simon Sage’s education largely surrounded writing, technology and online community, leading him to begin his blogging career at www.BlackBerryCool.com and to quickly discover a vibrant and active community surrounding BlackBerry and mobile technology. In exploring RIM’s platform, he has learned what enterprises are looking for in mobility as well as what makes the innocuous BlackBerry so appealing to them. Recently Simon’s been covering RIM’s gradual move into an already-crowded consumer market, and the impact of burgeoning challengers, such as the iPhone, as well as long-time leaders, like Nokia, on BlackBerry’s advancement. With plenty of content under his belt, Simon will be branching off a bit to see what other smartphone manufacturers are working on while still using BlackBerry as a barometer. At IntoMobile, you can count on his posts being even-handed, well-informed and thought-out.
