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BeyondPod is true to its name. As expected, the app competently plays podcasts and manages subscriptions. The beyond part is the app’s ability to manage RSS feeds, making it a powerful consumptive catch-all. Developed by the BeyondPod Team, BeyondPod for Android is available in both tablet and phone flavors, and it fits the bill for the podcast-craving commuters and news hungry readers.
In terms of UI, BeyondPod is functional and not much else. It’s easy to get to grips with because it smartly uses many of Android's familiar gestures and conventions. When we loaded it up for the first time, it took about ten minutes to find our bearings and subscribe to our regular rotation of podcasts.
A widget tags along with the app, providing one-touch access to your podcasts with the ability to switch on the fly, a hugely helpful feature for those with a commute.
It’s free to begin with, but features such as auto-download and concurrent feed download are behind a $6.99 paywall that activates one week after the app is installed. On the plus side, the unlock key allows fully licensed access to both the phone and tablet versions. Seven bucks is a ticket to sticker shock for many app shoppers, but the clean, functional BeyondPod is worth considering.
PUBLISHED NOV. 28, 2012
