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Unbelievable, Jeff: the Sky Sports iPad app now shows you the same data used by uber-pundit Gary Neville on Sky’s Monday Night Football — but Android users are stuck on the bench.
Sky told me the new features are included in an “update specifically for the iPad app”, without even a promise of an Android version to come.
App updates that arrive on the iPad and iPhone but neglect Android are all too common, and highly controversial among Android users: iPlayer and Sky Go apps have infuriated fans recently.
After all, there are more Android phones out there than there are iPhones — in two conflicting senses. There are more Android phones in people’s pockets, which should encourage app updates; but there are more types of Android phones with different software, screens and hardware, which puts developers off.
But when it comes to tablet-focused apps like this one, app developers are loath to bother with Android, as there are far more iPads out there than Android tablets.
So what are Android fans missing out on? The iPad app displays the same information, supplied by Opta, that goes to the analysis team, including maps of team formations and every touch from every player. You can see how a team’s formation shifts and morphs throughout the match with an adjustable timeline, or isolate formations at specific moments.
As well as the match you’re watching, the app gives you data from the previous six Premier League matches to compare the teams. And if you fancy a flutter and can’t be bothered to stagger to the bookies, you can place a bet with Sky Bet through the app.
You need a Sky Sports subscription to access the new features, while a £5 monthly payment gets you a cut-down version of the app.
Meanwhile, BBC Sport this week launches a mobile app for the iPhone and iPod touch, and the good news is an Android version is coming “within the next few weeks”.
Does Sky’s football coverage score over rivals? And should apps cater to Android, or is the iPad the only tablet worth bothering with? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page.
