Just as expected, NPR has taken their NPR News app from the iPhone AppStore to the Android Market today. Like its iPhone cousin, the Android version of the app serves up news articles, streams live NPR radio broadcasts, plays past shows and podcasts. And, thanks to the more open Android platform, NPR’s Android app allows for the user to multi-task while listening to their favorite NPR show in the background. The iPhone, on the other hand, doesn’t allow apps like NPR News to run in the background. Score one for Google!
NPR’s Android app also has another leg up on its AppStore counterpart – the app allows local NPR stations to push local news content to the app. Unfortunately, the Android-flavored NPR News app doesn’t yet support live-streaming of radio shows. You can listen to archived programs whilst browsing through NPR news stories or surfing the web, but if you’re looking for live radio, you’ll have to wait until Spring 2010.
As far as news apps are concerned, NPR News is as comprehensive a news app as you could hope for in an Android phone. Grab it from the Android Market today!
