On Updated Podcasts (App Review)

Apple has updated the Podcasts app to version 1.2. Here are the details of the update directly from the App store:

• Create custom stations of your favorite podcasts that update automatically with new episodes
• Choose whether your stations begin playing with the newest or oldest unplayed episode
• Your stations are stored in iCloud and kept up-to-date on all of your devices
• Create an On-The-Go playlist with your own list of episodes
• Playlists synced from iTunes now appear in the Podcasts app
• The Now Playing view has been redesigned with easier to use playback controls
• Addressed an issue with resuming playback when returning to the app
• Additional performance and stability improvements

The update fixes a lot of baffling problems present in the original app. In part, these issues were baffling because they were features that had been present when podcasts were part of the the music player and handled through iTunes. Apple has added that functionality back into Podcasts by allowing syncing to iTunes and the creation of On-The-Go playlists.

The improvements are evident after just a few minutes of using the app. The app feels more responsive and, with one glaring exception, looks cleaner and simpler. The lone omission from the updated look is the Top Charts segment accessible from the Library. It maintains the odd "radio dial" interface from version 1.0. It's a strange choice since the Top Charts list accessed from the store is in list form under the "Categories" option. This mirrors both the App Store and iTunes.

The biggest changes to the app's interface come in the form of a new player. The app has removed the controls that were hidden behind the album artwork and made them easily accessible. The changes include the playback speed (now a button with numerals rather than a fake switch with bunny and turtle icons), the 30 second forward and 10 second back buttons (both are now 15 seconds), and the sleep timer. The reel to reel tape player has also been removed, it probably will not be missed now that the novelty has worn off and the app actually works.

Apple has also added playlist control to the app and playlist syncing via iTunes. On-The-Go playlists can be edited from the My Stations screen as well as from the episode info screen. The All Unplayed playlist has moved to My Stations and Apple has also included a Most Recent playlist.

The biggest new feature is the ability to create custom Stations. Stations are built by adding some or all of the podcasts already subscribed to. Stations are backed up to iCloud and should be available from any Podcasts app logged in to the same Apple ID. Stations will update their included podcasts automatically and can start with oldest or newest available episode.

Another handy tweak is the ability to remove a downloaded episode file from within the app without deleting the episode from the podcasts episode list. In order to do this in the previous version, one navigated to the Podcasts section of the Usage settings and deleted data from each podcast subscription in bulk. It was clunky and unintuitive and the new system is a hundred times better.

The update to Podcasts could be the first of many design changes for Apple in the near future. Jony Ive has taken over as Senior VP of Industrial Design and more changes are in store for many of Apple's first party apps. GameCenter, iBooks, and Notes, in particular, either lack functionality or include elements of digital skeuomorphism. This could be the first step towards a more unified set of Apple Apps.

The update to Podcasts turns a dysfunctional piece of skeuomorphism into a useful App that can perform the function it was intended to perform. For the few that stayed behind after the launch of Podcasts, it's a welcome update. It is not a big enough improvement to bring back users who have left for Downcast and InstaCast, especially considering that they have made an actual investment in an application. For those looking for a Podcasts app, however, it warrants a look.