A steady stream of glossy news and video is the prime offering of City App, the newly released iPad app by EPL club Manchester City. Free match highlights are the most impressive feature, while loading delays are the least. Developed in conjunction with Aqueduct, the iPad-exclusive application was released in early September. It is a free download with no advertising. This review was conducted on an iPad 2 version 8.1, with Wi-Fi service.
GOALS: City App for iPad makes taking in the latest news and highlight video seem like an exclusive experience for Man City fans, with a grid of beautiful headline imagery on the home screen. In general, the look and feel of the app is very sleek, putting forth a nice vibe for the brand. City TV, a digital-exclusive channel, delivers extended highlights (10-15 minutes) and brief highlights (2-3 minutes) to "Cityzens" at no cost and with no required ads. This gives fans at least something to feel good about after Saturday’s 2-2 nailbiter against Queens Park Rangers. Also available are player interviews, episodes of digital exclusive "Inside City," game rewinds and a Tunnel Cam allowing fans to watch their team enter the stadium. A Fixtures section presents a listing of past and upcoming matches, match reports and a convenient path to highlights. EPL standings and a calendar of matches are also available within Fixtures. Match Day Centre, a time-stamped play-by-play text stream, runs during live matches. Post-match, this section contains all relevant content from the game, and video can be streamed without leaving the news feed. Fans can purchase team merchandise within the shop section, and a ticket exchange is also available within the app. All news and video is sharable via Facebook, Twitter and e-mail.
PENALTIES: Unlike its predecessor, City App does not appear to have crashing issues, but the app is consistently slow to load certain features. The Match Day Centre is underwhelming with a simple text-based play-by-play feed and an occasional image. A separate gameday companion app does exist, but there is no mention of this within the iPad app, leaving unknowing fans in the dark. When navigating away from the home screen, the Home button goes grey, suggesting that it is not available. This may confuse users. Furthermore, the navigation menu is almost too deep with each section containing a lengthy sub-section of options. This can be overwhelming. A search function would be a nice addition to the offering, allowing users to find content without having to swipe through the many content feeds. Social platforms could also be better integrated -- perhaps within their own feed?
FINAL SCORE: Highlight video, news and a very glossy-modern look are the key takeaways from City App for iPad. City TV brings a digital-exclusive stream of video to "Cityzens," and not a single advertisement can be found in the app. But loading issues are irritating, and Match Day Centre, a live play-by-play feature, is just okay. Regardless, the app deserves three and a half stars. An improved live match experience and a dumbed-down navigation are the main asks for future launches.
Amie Sheridan (amie.sheridan31@gmail.com) is a freelance writer in Philadelphia.
See Sheridan's previous App Review submissions for THE DAILY:
