NDTV Profit has come out with its app for iOS (iPhone and iPod Touch only) and Android platforms to help you stay on top of markets on the go. We got a chance to give both the versions a spin.
The first thing we noticed is that the experience is identical on both the platforms. While the layout and the overall look and feel of the apps is identical on iOS as well as Android, the UI elements used are consistent with the platform. For example, while the iOS app has menu controls at the bottom of the screen, the Android menu is triggered by hitting the context menu button. With the basic features & flow being the same, we decided to do a combined review for both platforms.
The layout of the app is fairly straightforward the main navigation menu that reads - Markets, My Stocks, News, Videos and More. Upon launch, the app automatically displays contents under the Market section. This section provides a quick overview of the current state of the market. The Markets Today tab provides a quick snapshot of important Indices, Commodities & Currencies. Since the app is targeted at the Indian audience, it has a heavy Indian bias in the choice of markets (BSE + NSE only) and all values are shown in rupees.
The 'Screeners' tab lets you dive a little fit further into market happenings by giving you information like the big Gainers/Losers, Price/Volume Shockers etc. Ability to filter stocks via Market Cap, Index, Sectors and P/E Ratio is present as well.
NDTV Profit website readers will feel at home on the 'Heatmap' tab. For the uninitiated, the Heatmap provides a graphical representation of how the different sections of the stock exchange are doing in terms of performance and trading volume.
The 'My Stocks' tab, as the name suggests, lets you track your portfolio and/ or maintain a stock watch-list. If you are already registered with NDTV Profit website, you can simply login with your credentials, and your existing portfolio and watch-lists show right up. New users can signup from within the app and start tracking stocks. The same credentials can also be used to access the portfolio from the NDTV Profit website.
The app also features a 'News' tab that delivers up-to-date financial news, interviews, opinions etc. Individual news items can be favourited for later reference or shared directly to social networks from within the app.
Perhaps the best feature of the app is the 'Videos' tab that delivers several kinds of video content from the NDTV studios. 'Live TV' is the first tab and it enables the streaming of NDTV Profit TV channel live directly to your device. Besides streaming the current show that's on air, the app also displays the schedule of shows for the rest of the day so that you know when to tune in if you want to catch a particular show. We tested the video playback on both WiFi and 3G networks and there was no jitter or buffer issues at all.
The app also features a 'Videos' tab that allows access to a video library sorted by topics such as Corporates, Economics, Global Markets etc. The third video section named 'Shows' gives the app user access to past and current episodes of shows from NDTV such as Gadget Guru, Let's Talk Money, All in the Family, Just Books etc.
Other menu options include 'Get Quote', that lets you search for a company and get a quick snapshot of its financial information. The 'Favourites' option is where you go back and browse the 'favourited' articles.
The app performed great on an iPhone 3GS, so the newer iPhones should have an even smoother experience. One thing to keep in mind is that since the app aims at providing accurate, real time information, it needs an active data connection in order to run.
The app is available for download now for
iPhone and iPod Touch and
Android.
Disclosure: NDTV Gadgets (this website) and NDTV Profit are part of the NDTV group.