App inspection: Cristiano Ronaldo

Available from iTunes and Android – Free

Cristiano Ronaldo has released his very own app so I thought I’d check it out and take a look.  With a such a large fan base as his, it makes sense for there to be an application totally about him.

I opened the app and to no surprise I was directed to a homepage with Ronaldo as the background; its what you’d expect when the app is all about Cristiano Ronaldo.  The layout is professional and very sleek and the background changes between two pictures.  There are four options to select from, located at the bottom of the screen:

Fans comments run beneath the selectable options, where you can contribute to by clicking on ‘fan wall’.  Here you can write a message to Ronaldo, although he won’t reply to you directly, just to everyone in general – disappointing but I’m sure he’s a busy man.  I clicked onto news and a feed of different news regarding Ronaldo appeared.  Goal alerts will appear if and when he scores, so expect plenty of theses!  Video content is available to watch, such as messages directly from Ronaldo.  However, when you follow the links they aren’t easily watchable, as you may have to sign into Facebook or you’re directed to YouTube to watch them; this may take some time if you haven’t got any signal on your phone.  Although, given that the app is brand spanking new, I’d have thought updates and further detail will enable the videos to be fully supported on the app.  You can view exclusive photos that are only available to users of the app, so you feel that little bit special than people who haven’t downloaded it yet!  Unfortunately, there aren’t so many yet but that’s to be expected.

 

App rating: 6/10 

The app is brand new so don’t expect too much of it yet, but its perfect for fans and those who idolise the Portuguese winger.  I like Ronaldo a lot and think he’s a brilliant player but I won’t go as far as following his every movement.  There isn’t much to offer people and in my opinion you may as well just follow him on Twitter or Facebook because this is what it revolves around.

By Jordan Draper

Jordan Draper

App inspection: The Football League App

Available from iTunes and Android - Free

The Championship, League 1 & 2 are all growing in reputation and popularity, not only across the UK but foreign countries too, so it makes sense for there to be a Football League app.  An immediate positive is that it’s free, making it easily accessible.  The app was available at the beginning of last season, so it’s relatively new and updates are regularly available. So don’t expect too much yet!

Upon entering the app, you'll be prompted to choose a favorite club so that all of the information available can be tailored to your preferences i.e. your favourite club.  Being a Portsmouth fan I naturally go to select them however, Portsmouth aren’t accessible on the app; the same applies for Aldershot Town, AFC Wimbledon, Leeds United, Middlesborough and West Ham United.  A little disappointing if you’d just wasted time downloading it.  Clubs such as West Ham United and Leeds should probably have club profiles, especially because they have such large fan bases.  I’d expect this to be major flaw with the app, however being relatively new you’d expect updates to fix this soon, so don’t lose faith!

Instead, I selected Reading FC as an example.  I was redirected to a ‘homepage’ screen that had adopted Reading’s colors’ and theme, as if it were an independent Reading FC app.  This is definitely a bonus to fans whose clubs don’t offer an independent application.  The layout is organized and professional, with plenty of information showing the clubs recent results and upcoming fixtures.By clicking them you can learn more about the side goalscorers and team sheets. There’s little advertising, only a very small add space at the top of the page, however this doesn’t obstruct viewing at all.  Latest news regarding a team is also available with statistics.  Live updates on matches being played are available, so you can keep up-to-date with your team whether you’re at work or simply lounging on the sofa at home.

There is a premium offer and it’s £1.49 for 1 month, £4.99 for 6 months and £9.99 for 12 months.  This includes unlimited access to video highlights.  From match highlights and post match interviews to goals and fan opinion pieces.It’s only a small price, especially for highlights that aren’t easily attainable on the web, so it’s a very worthwhile buy.  The app definitely has plenty of potential and if they can sort the issue out with the six clubs unavailable, then this can be one of the best free sports apps out there!

App Inspection Rating- 8/10 

 I can't think of many bad features, only that six of the clubs aren't available.  If they can address this  then I'd be giving it a higher score. The idea of video highlights are very good and offers consumers a unique selling point.  I know how hard it is to find highlights of Portsmouth on the internet so this is perfect for me!  Nevertheless, its a promising app with plenty of potential!

By Jordan Draper