Written Android App Review
Yes, the stories are true. You can now read the Wall Street Journal on your Android phone! A shiny new high-tech Android app was recently released for the WSJ, replacing the previous, less impressive Android app. While some stories and features require a subscription to view, there is still plenty available for free. If you like the WSJ, you should definitely get this Android app! Let’s looks deeper at the WJS app in the following Android app review.
Features
I’m not sure which feature I like most – the news feed which feels like I’m reading an actual newspaper, the video feeds which make me feel like I’m watching the 6:00 news, the podcasts or the stock market page. This app is jam-packed with enough features to keep you both interested an informed.
Wall Street Journal Android App
News: The news page clearly marks which articles require a paid subscription by an icon of a key. If you have a paid subscription, great! Just enter your login details and go! But if you don’t have one (and don’t want one) then this icon allows the reader to quickly skim past these articles and only read the the free ones. Don’t worry, there are plenty of free articles to keep readers busy for a while. Each article comes complete with the publish date, publish time, title (in large, easy to read print) and photo (if applicable) to make scanning simple and easy. A scrollable bar along the top of the app allows for easy navigation to different sections of the newspaper. Along the bottom of the screen is a stock ticker of the major stock indexes for quick reference. If this app only offered news, this would still be a great app, but it offers so much more!
Videos: Are you too busy to watch the news on TV? No worries, the WSJ app has you covered with an entire video center full of the latest news stories in full, hi-definition viewing, all at the press of a button. Now you can watch the news any time you want without being tied down to a couch and a television. Brilliant!
Podcasts: Would you rather just listen to the latest stories and trending topics? Check out the podcast section and get your news fix anywhere without having to stare at a screen. You can listen while driving home from work, washing the dishes, walking the dog… you name it!
Stock Market: This isn’t just a ticker, it’s a full featured stock snapshot! Want to monitor the latest IPO before investing? Want to check on stocks you’ve already invested in? You can do it quickly and easily right from the WSJ app while checking your daily news. No need to go to a separate app! You can see the highs and lows both graphically and numerically, for both the day and the year. It also shows the prior day’s close as well as the prior day’s volume. The graph can be viewed from the last day up to 3 years of history. It’s all here in your pocket!
Sharing/Saving: Did you find an article worthy of sharing or saving? Yep, the WSJ app will let you do that too via Facebook, Twitter, and email!
Design
Unlike many other news feed applications, the new WSJ Android app makes you feel as though you are actually reading a newspaper or watching the 6:00 news. There are plenty of news readers available, but few that offer as many features as this one does. The design is very user friendly and intuitive, making navigation simple and easy to understand, even for the novice. It uses a wonderfully clean combination of taupe, white and light blue to create a professional and appealing presentation. The layout and format of each screen makes for easy reading, viewing and scanning. Whether you like reading every article or simply scanning headlines, the WSJ has you covered.
Value
Not only is the Wall Street Journal Android application free to download, but it contains a good amount of content which is free as well. Should you choose to subscribe (if you don’t already), an online only account can be acquired for about $1.99/week. This is entirely optional though and not only unlocks subscriber-only articles, but also other features on the app, such as saving articles, videos, etc., to your own personal portfolio online. In addition, this allows the reader to view the WSJ online as well. If you are an avid WSJ fan, you probably already have a subscription. If not, don’t worry – like I said, you can still use this app very well without one! So go ahead and check it out today!
Android Apps Review Details: The Wall Street Journal Android app is Free. This app requires Android 2.0 and up. You may download The Wall Street Journal from the Android Market.
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