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Network - Podcast App app for iPhone and iPad


4.4 ( 9584 ratings )
News Entertainment
Developer: Andrew Conlan
2.99 USD
Current version: 28, last update: 4 years ago
First release : 18 Dec 2013
App size: 9.1 Mb

A simple, clean and efficient podcast app.

- Sound Check: Automatically ensures episodes play at a more consistent volume, boosting quieter podcasts.

- Offline: Automatically downloads new episodes as they become available.
(the app will wait for opportunities to download when connected over Wi-Fi, user initiated downloads within the app can use both cellular/Wi-Fi).

- Storage: Automatically deletes episodes from the device when played.

- Other Features:
Stream older episodes without downloading (cellular/Wi-Fi).
Import podcasts from OPML files.
Subscribe to podcasts from URLs copied to the clipboard.
Variable playback rates.
Variable skip rates.
Sleep Timer.

Pros and cons of Network - Podcast App app for iPhone and iPad

Network - Podcast App app good for

The best streaming podcast app on the App Store, simple, easy to use and very good looking.
Since Podcast Apps are the new playground in UI Design a lot of fresh ideas emerge. Network is no different. I really like the chromeless look of the app and the "zero settings" approache. But, please turn off that "Podcast completed" voice at the end of each Podcast. Oh, and add a dedicated Airplay button in the playback screen. Going into Control Center to turn on Airplay is annoying and in my experience sometimes a bit buggy. Anyway, great app. Try it.
This app is proof that developers who write great apps dont need to add "Please rate me!" dialog boxes to get ratings. Thanks to the developer for not doing this! After getting tired of Instacasts unintuitive interface, I tried Castro and Pocket Casts. Both of these are good but have little annoying problems with them. I spent a few days doing comparisons and wasnt satisfied with any of them. I stumbled upon Network a few days after settling with Castro and its design issues. Networks design is so simple and so clean that it made Castro (which is a month old) look old-fashioned! Network lacks many features but makes up for it in simplicity. It does basic podcasting very well and doesnt clutter the interface with features. I look forward to Network eventually getting a few new features but hope that it stays true to its original clean design philosophy. Four stars because there are a couple of issues: -Adding individual episodes of podcasts can be cumbersome when setting it up. I should be able to swipe consecutively without it exiting to the episode list, forcing me to click the + button again. -Marking unread should be left-to-right, or having a toggle in the Settings (which doesnt exist yet but would be nice for a few of these user preferences).
Network is well designed and is easy to use. It fits my needs to a "T". Excellent product support as well.
When in the river info, something comes by and you want to hear it "right now", Network gets it to your ears with just a few clicks. Ill take nothing from my rating for the lack of "extra" functionality. Sometimes you need to get from A to B & a/c & drive-thrus just dont matter.
Lots to like about Network but most of all, it has an incredibly simple to use interface. Clean and organized and great for listening in the car with its large playback buttons. Support is great, Andrew responds quickly and values feedback.

Some bad moments

That was $24.39 I didnt want to spend. Said in the app description it wouldnt use cellular data. Lies.
I just hit 275% on my data usage for this month because while i was out today this app downloaded 4 podcasts. I asked a few people to read the description and tell me what it meant to see if I was alone in my interpretation, and we all agreed that it sounds like this app will wait to download over wi-fi. That is definitely not the case. Ill be deleting it immediately.
I installed this, and i couldnt play the most-recent episode of my fave podcast, unless I paid $1.99. Useless! Why not just make it a paid app? It doesnt do anything, otherwise.
I love the simplicity. No clutter at all. No way to browse for new podcasts (that Ive found), so you have to know what you want to listen to and search for it. I love everything that the app does do though.
Castro just got OPML import, so Ive been able to switch from PocketCasts. The UI for this app my be even more of improvement, but OPML import is a must have, day one feature for me and, I suspect, most people. I refuse to manually enter all my podcasts. Ill write another review if and when OPML import is added.
No instructions but super easy to get used to. I miss the 15 sec skip button but has a similar feature if you hold the skip