Audible for Android

Summary

Real bookworms also enjoy reading in the dark. Instead of worsening your eyesight, it's probably a better idea to switch over to audio books. Because a lot of the time spoken word is just as exciting as reading the book with your own two eyes.

Audible for Android is custom-made for real bookworms that would rather listen than read. Find out what the app can do in today's test.

An account with Audible is a precondition for using Audible for Android. You don't have to sign up for the monthly subscription, so you can pay as you go only for the books you actually read i.e listen to.

Library Overview

If you don't have an Audible account, you can register with them at start-up. Only after registering can you enjoy the world of audio books.

Advice: It's better to download audio books via a Wi-Fi connection. Several hours worth of audio can take up a couple megabytes worth of space.
The size of the audio book depends on the quality of the recording. In the Settings, you can select between normal quality and best available quality. Playback starts as soon as at least 2% of the audio book has been downloaded. In addition, you can pause or cancel the download at any time.

Listen and Enjoy with your Audio Book Player

Just tap an audio book in order for it to start playing. Play, stop, pause, fast-forward and rewind - the app has all of the above. To keep track of where you left off, Audible for Android allows you to place bookmarks without having to remember any page numbers. Pulling down the curtain at the top of the screen gives you access to additional options. Besides the Now Playing view, you can switch to other screen where you can read a description of the book and leave feedback on the recording/voice quality. The other two screen allow you to switch between chapters and flip to the next bookmark.

Unfortunately, it isn't possible to synchronize your saved bookmarks. This means you won't be able to find your bookmarks from any Audible-supported device. Based on my request for clarification, Audible informed me that there aren't any plans for adding synchronization in the future. If you feel like sharing a favorite passage from a book, Audible lets you share it via the usual social network culprits.

Should I read and listen in the dark?
Everyone's had the experience of their mother yelling at them "stop reading in the dark or you'll ruin your eyesight". "Whatever, mom" was the typical response that came out of my mouth. With enough age and experience, I realized that my mother was right (oh and did I mention that I have terrible vision now?). With Audible I can finally give my eyes a rest and enjoy a good night's read in the dark. Audible for Android also has another cool feature for bedtime reading: sleeping mode. Here you can set a time after which the app automatically shuts off, letting you slowly drift off into sleep.

Welcome to the Library

You library is always with you. The integrated Mobile Store gives you access to the entire Audible.com audio book collection. You'll find everything from the latest bestsellers to forgotten gems from yesteryear. Extra perks are news and interviews with different authors for you to enjoy. As a first-time user, you'll benefit from a special offer. Who doesn't like getting presents? You get a free audio book as a small welcome to Audible gift.

Menus & Settings in Overview

Library

• News - links to Audible's Facebook and Twitter
• Statistics
  • - Android Listener Level - e.g. AppProfessor: over 2000 completed hours of listening
  • - Trophy Collection - here you can collect over 15 different trophies for the amount of audio books completed
  • - Total Listening Time
  • - My Audible Books - shows you which audio books are in your library
• Search
• Settings

Audio book players

• Share - let others know that you are listening to Audible
• Sleeping mode - ends playback after 15, 30 or 60 minutes at the end of the chapter or entire book
• Navigator - for simple controls
• My Library

Settings

• About - check for updates, share app with others and legal terms.
• General Settings - deactivate sleeping mode, open the Mobile Store in your browser, status display
• Playback Settings - set rewind and fast-forward intervals, playback without pausing between chapters
• Download Settings - adjust the audio book quality, download via Wi-Fi only
• Headset Settings - settings for using headsets
• Questions & Help - FAQ, User guide, contact, error report, app reset
• Logout

Additional Details About the App

Download size: 3.32 MB
Size after installation: 5.8 MB
Audio book folder: SD Card/Audible

Bottom Line:
Audible for Android leaves a very good general impression and is a lot of fun to use. The only thing missing is the synchronization between different platforms. It should be possible to offer users the same information and settings across different platforms and devices. Unfortunately, Audible for Android fails to do so.

East to Use

Audible for Android is made up of two parts. The download manager helps you search and find audio books while the audio book player allows you to listen to your books. The separation between the two is one of the reasons why Audible for Android is so easy to use. Should your library get too vast, you can easily find what you're looking for with the search feature.

Looks great!
Audible for Android's design is both charming and classy. Kudos!

Audible for Android crashed several times during my test when I would switch between the library and the player. The app would also lag pretty badly from time to time. As a result, I can only give this app three stars.
 

Audible for Android is available for free from the Android Market. The audio books have to be purchased, however.