Thoughts on the new Podcast app for iOS

Inspired by reading this article over at ZeroDistraction.com

While I don’t actually care about many of the features the author cares about (e.g. I prefer to do podcast discovery on my laptop), I do agree that the app feels clunky.

Update: Podcasts listened to using this app don’t get recognised as ‘played’ back in iTunes. Presumably that will get fixed with an iTunes update with iOS 6, but still… that’s the nail in the coffin for me. I won’t be using this app again until iOS6 is out proper.

Update the second: Heck, even after I manually updated the played status in iTunes, the Podcast app didn’t swap out the played episodes for unplayed. It did bring down new podcasts – but not new episodes.

The tape reel in the background? Cute for about 2 seconds. Then, because I’m listening to an audio podcast, I put the phone back in my pocket and forget about it.

More annoyingly (to me):

• doesn’t respect the play order I have on the laptop (unlike the music app). So I need to go to each podcast and tell it that I like to listen to oldest first. The music app was smart enough to work that out from my syncing preferences (which, surprise surprise, I set to ’10 oldest’)
• Can’t get to shownotes on the iPhone version (haven’t tried the iPad one yet)
• Triple-click on the headphone control doesn’t go back to the start – jumps straight to the previous episode.

It does feel unfinished, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they update it with the official iOS6 release later in the year.

Author: Robert Watkins

My name is Robert Watkins. I am a software developer and have been for over 20 years now. I currently work for people, but my opinions here are in no way endorsed by them (which is cool; their opinions aren’t endorsed by me either). My main professional interests are in Java development, using Agile methods, with a historical focus on building web based applications. I’m also a Mac-fan and love my iPhone, which I’m currently learning how to code for. I live and work in Brisbane, Australia, but I grew up in the Northern Territory, and still find Brisbane too cold (after 22 years here). I’m married, with two children and one cat. My politics are socialist in tendency, my religious affiliation is atheist (aka “none of the above”), my attitude is condescending and my moral standing is lying down. View all posts by Robert Watkins