BBC News iPhone app launches today, Android and BlackBerry 'soon'

The BBC News app, which lets iPhone users check out the very latest happenings the world over, has finally popped up in the UK. The BBC Trust has decided that the Beeb's plans to launch dedicated smart-phone apps don't require any further review.

The News app is launching for the iPhone and iPad today, but Auntie has announced she intends to bring the app to both Android and BlackBerry phones in the near future.

Erik Huggers, director of future media and technology (superb name and job title -- what a man), has said in a blog post on the BBC site, "We know that increasing numbers of you want to access BBC output on-the-go and the rapid growth of Internet-connected mobiles and smart phones in the market means we can cost-effectively provide our content and services on these devices.

"It will come to BlackBerry and Android phones in addition to other devices later in the year," he confirmed.

The plans to release these apps were formed way back in February, but the BBC Trust put the whole project on the backburner while it tried to figure out whether or not a Public Value Test (PVT) was in order.

A PVT is essentially research conducted to figure out what kind of impact a new BBC service would have both on customers and the market in general. In other words, the Trust may have been concerned that BBC apps would prove too dominant, and would put rival broadcasters and news outlets at an unfair disadvantage. After five months of consideration it's concluded that actually they don't need to perform a PVT at all.

BBC Mobile's executive product manager, David Madden, has written a handy guide to using the apps, and recorded an explanatory video, which we've embedded below for your viewing pleasure. You can download the apps for free direct from iTunes.