Android has a lot of apps. Over 200,000 in fact. And due to the fact that Google owns the market on RSS portals with their own Google Reader product, it is no surprise that there is no shortage of Android RSS apps that synchronize with Google Reader.
I take a brief look at 7 of these apps, from free to cheap to slightly expensive offerings.
Certainly Google’s own Reader app is capable and syncs instantly with it the web portal, but it does not support offline caching of your articles. The interface is also a little simplistic, lacking any font customization options.
Feedr, at 96c (all prices in CND), is the cheapest of the paid offerings, and also has the most extensive customization options. At the same time, it is a visually sparse and somewhat ugly application, so if you just want to get your content and get out, I would highly recommend it. It has a few widget options, and you can add shortcuts to specific feeds to your desktop. They also offer an ad-supported free version.
Next up is the grandfather of Android Google Reader apps, NewsRob ($5.50 paid / ad-supported, feature limited free). After receiving countless user-requested features and aesthetic improvements, NewsRob is arguably the most fluid, attractive of the lot. While it supports a maximum of 2000 articles (as opposed to an unlimited number on other apps), it’s fast and gesture-capable. It also has a one-click web mode which loads the full web page directly in the app.
gReader (Pro $5.50 / ad-supported free) has a few unique features along with its pleasing interface and excellent article arrangement. The Pro version allows for a very cool ticket widget and the ability the download podcasts directly to the device. It supports instant two-way sync and a dark mode, too.
D7 Google Reader (Pro $1.55 / ad-supported free) is a newer market entrant and differentiates itself by having its own home portal that links to various hubs, including a directory of prominent RSS feeds, and recommended content based on your Google Reader list.
The next three are very similar in that they’re not dedicated Google Reader apps. Pulse, Taptu and Feedly (all free), are feed management systems that employ unique feed views to allow easy content discovery. I prefer Pulse since it’s been around the longest and has the most robust features, but all of them are excellent and you should give them a try.
Editor’s Choice:
– Feedr: Most features for the price, excellent syncronization and offline cachine options
– Pulse: Perfect way to discover new content and view your existing feeds in a unique, attractive way.
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