NPR News for Android

NPR News brings you tons of great content in the form of recorded programs like Morning Edition or All Things Considered, text-based news, live streams, and podcasts from hundreds of stations in America's public radio network, but doesn't follow all the Android design guidelines, which makes it awkward at times.

Pros

Content for everyone: Whether you want to read or listen to the latest news from around the world, enjoy popular or highbrow music, or find out what your sport team's up to, NPR News brings you more text-based and audio content than any other US-based news app.

Streams almost anything: The big advantage of using NPR News over a media player or other similar app is that it can stream all the audio content provided by NPR stations, making even the download of podcasts unnecessary; the built-in player loads them instantly on a good Wi-Fi connection. This app saves you the trouble of downloading audio content, helping you free storage space.

Easy to use: The news items and audio content/stations are separated into different sections, so you can quickly find what you're looking for. The handy search feature, clean design, and straightforward player on the bottom of the screen make this app one of the most approachable media apps on Google Play.

Cons

Design doesn't follow Android guidelines: While the design looks good, it lacks sidebar navigation. Instead it relies on a rather clumsy drop-down menu in which you'll find nestled among content submenus the About and Settings pages. Also, the app features a player that sits permanently at the bottom of the screen, taking up screen space even when nothing is playing.

Technical issues: The app itself appears to be stable, but every now and then expect connection errors, especially when streaming a live station.

Bottom Line

NPR News is far from perfect, with its navigation and technical issues. Still, it's quite entertaining with its many stations and programs, offering plenty of original content. If you enjoy listening to the radio while you're on the go, you should try this app.