NPR One Brings Radio to Your Phone

NPR One brings NPR content to your Apple or Android phone. It is also available in your browser at one.npr.org.

Purpose & Functionality

NPR One provides Pandora-like functionality for NPR content. You begin by choosing a station by searching or selecting "Find stations near me." At that point it will start to play content from that station. You can mark whether or not that segment was interesting or not, and over time NPR One will get to know your preferences and play content that you prefer. You can also search for a specific show to play at any time.

Rating: simplicity, usefulness, beauty and necessity

  • Simplicity. (8/10) NPR One works easily and flawlessly. I can't think of anything that would make it more simple to use.

  • Usefulness. (7/10) The usefulness of NPR One rests almost completely on how much NPR content you enjoy. I personally find myself skipping over the news sections because I prefer to read the news, but I do enjoy using NPR One to listen to content like TED Radio Hour, Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! and How to do Everything as well as local shows like Houston Matters.

  • Beauty. (9/10) NPR One looks good and works even better. It's a beautiful app.

  • Necessity. (6/10) I'm giving NPR One a low "necessity" score solely because there are so many other ways to listen to NPR content. You can see a list below.

  • Stickiness. (7/10) I've enjoyed using the app. I actually prefer it over other NPR sources, but with so many ways to consume NPR content I can't give it a high "stickiness" score.

Alternatives

NPR provides their content in a wide variety of of ways. If NPR One isn't the best option for you, here are some other options to try.

You can download NPR One from the Apple App Store or from the Google Play Store. For more information check out the NPR One website.

ReviewsTimothy BuckGeneral