BBC iPlayer on Windows 8 Phones

The BBC has finally made its iPlayer app available to download from the Windows Phone store, following its launch back in March.
The BBC iPlayer Windows Phone app, which we’ve managed to download onto our Nokia Lumia 720 handset, is not a native app, but is just a shortcut to the mobile iPlayer website, which means it is lacking features such as offline viewing capabilities. However, the app does come with Live Tile support and the ability to stream TV shows over a 3G or WiFi connection.
It is not good news for Windows Phone users who have not yet got the latest version of Microsoft’s mobile operating system though, as the BBC announced today that the app will not be supported on Windows Phone 7.5, despite having promised that it would make an appearance on older devices.

David Price, head of BBC iPlayer said, “Unfortunately, platform limitations with Windows Phone 7.5 have meant we’ve been unable to provide the same quality playback experience as on Windows Phone 8. This led to the joint decision not to make BBC iPlayer available on Windows Phone 7.5.
“Although this is disappointing, Windows Phone 8 currently make up the majority of all Windows Phones on the market and this number is expected to grow. I therefore hope more of you will get to enjoy BBC programmes on the go with iPlayer with Windows Phone 8 devices.”