Irish News, Features & Sport

Euro 2012 is fast approaching and with Ireland’s inclusion in the major competition, much of the country is quivering with anticipation. And in the days of Android and iPhone technology, being away from a television doesn’t mean missing out on all the excitement. Today, Irish News Review takes a look at the top apps available for Euro 2012.

1. UEFA Official Euro 2012

Platform – iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry, Windows Phone

Cost – Free

Requirements – Android 1.6, iOS 4.2

The basic companion app to UEFA’s Euro 2012 competition, the official UEFA app offers everything the working fan might need – a full calendar of fixtures and results, national team selections, news in the run up to the competition as well as videos and pictures from the games. Basic player statistics from the qualifying stages of the competition are also included, updated along with each stage of the competition, including bookings, age and matches played. The interface itself is bordering on dull yet is easy to use, and even the most technophobic of users will have no trouble in finding out the latest results or searching for pictures from match day.

Pros

Despite not being the greatest app ever designed, it offers plenty for a freebie. Results are delivered straight to your hand, and with videos and match side pictures, the app has potential to become a fan favourite.

Cons

There are already several similar apps in usage, some better though a few worse. Early users have also reported that the app is a power hog, eating battery overnight while running in the background.

Verdict – 3.5/5 A decent app, offering everything one could expect from UEFA. Although it doesn’t contain much in the way of innovation, the lack of a price helps it just a little. Not much good to you at work, however, if you haven’t enough power left to turn your phone on to check the scores.

2. UEFA Euro 2012 by Carlsberg

Platform – iPhone, Android & Smart TV

Cost – Free

Requirements – Android 2.1, iOS 3.0, a Smart TV

Also free of cost, Carlsberg’s offering for the Euro 2012 market looks somewhat similar to the official competition app, unrelated, undoubtedly to the fact they are the games’ official sponsors and have been involved with the European Championships since 1988. The app is easy and pleasant to use; a mix of the familiar and complementary colours makes for a rather pleasant experience, and the app’s simple yet efficient layout means that getting lost is quite a hard thing to achieve. Unsurprisingly, Carlsberg offer a list of fixtures and results from the qualifiers to the very end of the Championship, including the international friendlies along the way. Some stats on all the players taking part in the event are included, yet, as before, they rarely delve into any great detail. The obligatory news section keeps the fan up to date on all national goings-on, videos too are offered, yet nothing overly bold or revolutionary. Should the user grow bored of results and match events, Carlsberg also offers a competitions tab, as well as a barfinder, for anyone stuck in Poland or Ukraine with a thirst.

Pros

Once again, the cost of the app is nil, which alongside brand recognition should draw quite a number of users. The eye-catching yet simple interface supersedes that of the official app.

Cons

Carlsberg’s offering isn’t much different that a range of apps already available. Statistics on both players and teams barely go into any great detail.

Verdict – 3/5

Ultimately, like the official UEFA app, shiny and simple to use without much effort, the app has been designed without a great deal of thought into making it the best that it could be, and simply settles for serving fan’s simplest needs.

3. Live Score Addicts

Platform – iPhone, iPod, iPad

Cost – Free

Requirements – iOS 4.2

For the football fan on the go, for whom immediate results are required, LiveScore Addicts is the app for you. The aim is simple – comprehensive results from just about every professional football league imaginable with no frills attached. Off-putting brown colour aside, setting up is easy, with users ready to go in a matter of minutes. For the Euro fan, selecting the European Championships is hassle free, with the app poised to bring in goals and match events as they happen. Though the font size may be a bit on the small side in an effort to squeeze a lot in, users have the option to switch to single match view, with clear indicators of each match event. Notifications can also be set for a variety of instances, including goals or bookings, or even simply when a particular team is playing.

Pros

The sheer scale of the app is impressive, comprehensive doesn’t do it justice. Simple and easy to use appears to be a byword for successful apps these days and LiveScores is no different. Though not specifically designed for the European Championships, access to the results is only several clicks away.

Cons

The drab brown colour is somewhat off-putting; this is an app people won’t be inclined to spend too much time browsing. In addition, immediacy is the name of the game when it comes to LiveScores; users aren’t offered access to any results or fixtures further than yesterday or tomorrow.

Verdict – 3/5 A solid app in its own right, but unlikely to become an outright hit.

4. Euro 2012 +

Platform – iPhone, iPod

Cost – €0.79

Requirements – iOS 5.0

Developed by The App Team Ltd, Euro 2012 + offers a far more in-depth application for the summer Championship, combining the best features of current apps, and adding a twist of its own. “Right from the very start we understood that for an iPhone app for Euro to be genuinely useful, it can’t be just a gimmick which merely displays a list of fixtures, but should allow users to quickly access all the detailed stats and information about the teams and players they are interested in”, explained Tom Kotecki, Director and Co-Founder. With detailed head to head stats for each fixture, past competition performance and brilliantly detailed information on each player and team, on top of news, fixtures and results, Euro 2012 + is certainly worth its small price tag. Stylistically, the purple/black design works well and navigation is a simple task and when combined with its impressive stats on everything Euro 2012 it makes for an interesting mix.

Pros

Obviously the stand out feature is the sheer amount of information on players and teams that users have access to, ensuring no fan will lose any pub argument during the Euros this summer.

Cons – With few drawbacks, this handy little app is one of the best on the market for its price, even head to head against the freebies. While the design and usability is near flawless, users on other platforms are left empty-handed, while only Apple users with iOS 5.0 or over will be able to access the app.

Verdict – 4.5/5 Fun and easy to use, thoroughly informative, it’s easy to see why its flying to the top of the download charts, though disappointing that Android users can’t take advantage of its impressive features.