Comcast announced March 1 that an Xfinity Mobile App is available free of charge on the Android marketplace, which will enable Xfinity customers with Android-powered devices to control and customize their TV viewing experience remotely. Specifically, customers will be able to “change channels, program their DVRs, search and browse TV listings or On Demand content and search by various filters — including genres, networks, and titles, all from their mobile device.” As of last year Comcast had already developed an Xfinity Mobile App for iPhone and iPad devices. Version 3.0 released in February, which repaired stability and performance issues, has received good reviews on the iTunes stores. Apple customers seemed particularly happy that the latest update had fixed the crashing issue.
It may take a few updates to completely satisfy Android customers. Reviewers on the Android marketplace were mostly critical of the app – posting that they had experienced errors, couldn’t utilize the app in their area, or had issues with the search feature to name some of the most common complaints. It seemed from the posts that those with some phones (like the Droid X) had better results than others, like the Sprint Evo 4G, which caused PCMag reviewers some problems. It’s likely that Comcast will be listening to their customers and issue future upgrades based on the complaints.
One upgrade that customers are really looking forward to is the ability to stream live TV on Android powered tablets. Comcast stated in their press release that “Later this year, Comcast plans to enable live TV streaming in the home, so customers can turn their tablet into an additional TV screen.” In February Comcast released an upgrade that allowed iPhone and iPad users to stream On Demand shows. Comcast’s statement only mentioned that “Coming soon, customers will also be able to watch On Demand TV shows, movies and other video content directly on an Android-powered device.”
It’s clear that it will take some patience until the Xfinity Mobile App satisfies all Comcast’s customers; however, the convenience the app offers will be worth the wait. Until then…hold on to your remote.
