News apps are a dime a dozen in the Android app store, with almost all leading publications offering apps of their own. Some of them are more popular than the others, but many of us know by now that relying on just one or a handful of publications is simply not enough. Biased and even promotional pieces are pretty common. Unlike in other countries, Indian publications seldom even tag their promotional pieces as such, giving readers the idea that they are reading something relevant and unbiased.To really keep up with today’s times, we need to look at multiple sources and cross-check the facts. 4th Estate is an app that does just this, but how well does it do its work?
What it does?
Designed & Developed in Hyderabad by The Egghead Creative, 4th Estate works by aggregating news from the best news portals in India, giving you a quick look at current affairs in a simple tile format. Clicking on the tiles takes you to the article in question.
4th Estate versus other apps
Most news apps are by major sources like the Times of India (TOI), NDTV and CNN, which is great but they give a limited viewpoint of the current affairs in India. Some of the sources are even known to ignore or give minimal coverage to certain events and issues. You also have apps like Mint and The Verge that give news only on specific topics (Mint on financial news, The Verge on tech news). Once again, the scope is limited. 4th Estate, on the other hand, lays out the latest news happening around you, from various sources and on various topics.
Who is it aimed at?
If you want to keep up with certain segments of the news like finance and technology, it’s best to get an app that delivers just that. However, if you do want an app that delivers up-to-date and unbiased news, 4th Estate is a good choice. It is a great alternative to downloading and running apps by different publications every day. You get all your news in a single platform that is simple to use.
Pros
- 4th Estate is a great option for those looking for an aggregation of the latest news in different publications in India.
- It is simple and intuitive; you see the news tiles as soon as you open the app, and there is no hassle of handling the news feeds.
- The top bar features a refresh icon to manually refresh the news on your page.
- On the other side is a button that takes you to a sliding menu, where you can view the Top, Latest, Trending or In Depth news in all categories or select one of five individual categories- Politics, Sports, Technology, Business and Entertainment.
- The app boasts of a light and clean user Interface, which aims to enhance user’s reading experience.
- You can share articles on Google+, Twitter, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Facebook and other messenger apps.
- You can also share it via Gmail or text it to someone.
- Each article includes a Related Articles segment that gives you more information about a certain topic or new information on a related topic.
Cons
While they are plenty for most readers and app users, they may not be enough for people who want to personalize their news feed even further.
Verdict
With 4th Estate, you can quickly get a stream of news articles on the latest events, with options to find news about India in general or about certain topics. If you are looking for a simple and comprehensive news aggregator app for your android device, get 4th Estate now from Play Store. Those with an iOS device can download the app from App Store.
