App Review: Tunin.FM iCar Radio
Explore the airwaves with your iPhone
Ah, the joys of streaming internet radio in these pioneer days. While on the move, iPhone users often encounter constant switching between the EDGE and 3G networks. The result: buffering, stalling, crashing. Joy quickly dissipates. Wouldn ‘t it be really cool to stream music reliably?
Mobilaria brings music to the masses via Tunin.FM iCar Radio in a Lite and Full version that gets streaming radio onto your iPhone on fast AND slower internet speeds “ via in excess of 400 stations worldwide, 100 in the Netherlands alone where the developer is located (these numbers are quickly rising).
Stations play in either 29K or 128K bandwidth, enabling good streaming audio quality even on GPRS networks (which means the iPhone 1st gen is in on the party). I was eager to test both versions of the app, and was pleased at what I found.
Upon launch, the lite app autoloads a list of genres by default. You can also search by station, alphabetically, or by typing in a query. While in player mode you can peruse genres or stations. Also, neat that some stations give you track info while streaming. This version is thus quite functional but yes, a bit lite.
The full version costs € 2.99 ($3.99) and offers a more personalized experience. You can create and store a favorites list, submit stations by clicking on the logo, view recently played locations and even choose from 4 designs (I like the speaker look the best). The full version also remembers your last location, so that pressing ‘start ‘ relaunches radio bliss. Cool and handy.
The good? Lots of choice. Honestly, you will not live long enough to enjoy all the included stations. Also the fact that it works well on EDGE and slower internet speeds cannot be stressed enough. The lite app has solid design and does what it supposed to, while the paid version is a nice evolution and improvement on its little brother.
What I miss: lack of personal preferences in free version. Info on the stations (eg. country of origin and web link) would also be nice.
Overall: A sleek app for radio lovers, one that delivers on its promise and brings stations you never knew existed onto your iPhone. I for one will be exploring the airwaves, or should I say bandwidth. 
BTW is there any rock station in the world that does NOT play Toto Africa?
Check out their site in English: Mobilaria
Lite: iTunes Store link
Full version: iTunes Store link
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Feel free to comment or contact me via Twitter @aliciabankhofer
Oh, come on. Ye cannae change the laws of physics, as Scottie would say.
This app would have us believe that it can somehow create a 29k stream to work on a GPRS or EDGE connection when one doesn't exist. It can't. If you try to connect to a station streaming at – say – 128k, and you're not on 3G, you'll get a lot of buffering, with more silence than sound, same as on any other application. I've tried it. That's what happens.
I have just recently perchased this great app for my iphone and i have to say this is the best radio player i have used so far on my iphone. I have also tryed the shoutcast radio app but it's not great for walking around or in the car because it goe's off all the time. However even though there is a very cool choice of bbc radio stations on the icar and a lot more besides it doe's not have my play uk or nonstop play.com is there any way you could sort that out apart from this very minor thing i will give the app 9/10. GREAT…..
What's wrong with Toto's Africa?! That song is a classic!