Since getting my Motorola Droid last year, I’ve found many great apps (all free – save one) and some not so great ones too. One of the very first apps I installed was LifeChurch.tv’s Bible app You Version which is still amazing with it’s easy navigation, numerous translations and integrated reading plans, etc. I highly recomend it to anyone who’s considering a Bible app for their smart phone (or tablet). But I recently and quite unintentionally found out that Crossroads, publishers of the ESV translation, have recently released a beta version of their own bible app for android phones – ESV Bible 0.9 Now Available for Android. This version looks and fuctions like the iPhone/iPad/iPod version – but with less features (since its still in beta).
There are two three features I like about this one over the YouVersion app from LifeChurch.tv. ONE, it loads incredibly fast. This may be simply because it has only one translation or because it currently has less features – either way, its real nice to get to the text so quickly. TWO, the navigation is much nicer even though it functions much in the same way. It may just be the scrolling effect or the larger font (or the speed) but it just feels better (and I think YouVersion rocks). THREE, the iPhone version says it can be used online AND offline which is a huge deal since my wife just got an 8gb iPod Touch for Christmas (a gift from her grandma who won it somewhere). Since the iPod Touch isn’t on a 3G network it only works* when connected to WiFi – until now.
*Yes, I realize the iPod “works” without an internet connection but many apps don’t. ESV Bible+ is the only free ESV Bible App that is available on your iPhone or iPod Touch, with or without an internet connection. So search for ESV Bible and install it now.
