Sirius XM have launched an updated version of their app for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. The biggest chance is that the new version will let you play music in the background while using other apps — assuming you’re running iOS 4 on a mobile device that supports multitasking.

The Sirius XM app for Google Android already supports background audio.

The latest version for iOS also allow you to reorganize your favorite channels and provides more settings options. The company also promises that the new version will reduce buffering while using a cellular data connection.

The Sirius XM app for iOS is available as a free download from the App Store. But you’ll need to pay for a Sirius XM subscription to continue streaming content once your free trial runs out.

via iPodnn

Sirius XM Satellite Radio has launched an Android app that lets you listen 120 channels of music and talk programming from the Sirius XM network. Clearly the app doesn’t actually give your mobile phone a satellite receiver.

Instead the app streams the radio stations over the internet using a WiFi or 3G connection — and the first time you launch the app you’ll be greeted with a message warning you that you should probably make sure you have a decent data plan before listening to streaming audio on your phone.

Sirius offers a subscription plan for commercial-free radio. But you can try out the Android app for free by signing up for a 7 day free trial.

Navigation is pretty simple. Stations are sorted into categories including pop, rock, dance & electronic, hip hop/R&B, counjtry, Classical, Jazz, Blues & Standards, News & Public Radio, and Talk. The audio quality is pretty decent and the app is easy enough to navigate. But honestly, I have to say I wasn’t really that impressed with any of the stations I tried — with the possible exception of the Bootleg channel featuring live performances. Your results and musical/talk radio tastes may vary.

You can also add stations to a favorites list or hit the Settings button to toggle a few settings like whether the app should autoplay at startup. When the Sirius XM app is playing, you should also see an icon in your notification bar. Pull it down and you’ll see the current artist and channel.

If you’re an existing Sirius XM customer with a few favorite channels that you’d like to be able to access on your phone, the app almost seems like a no-brainer. It costs $2.99 per month for existing satellite radio customers. It’s not altogether clear how much the service costs for folks who aren’t already paying customers.

Personally I’ll probably stick with free internet radio services such as A Online Radio and StreamFurious for now. But if you’re interested in the Sirius XM app for Android, you can check out some more screenshots after the break and visit siriusxm.com/android on your mobile device for a download link.

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Sirus XM radio plans to launch an application for Google Android that will let subscribers tune into 120 channels of commercial-free music and talk programming.

The satellite radio network offers several subscription options for mobile users. You can sign up for an internet only plan, or if you already subscribe to the satellite radio service you can get a discount on mobile service. Sirius XM offers 7 day free trial memberships so you can test the app before signing up for a service plan.

The Android app isn’t avialable yet, but you can sign up at the Sirius XM web site to receive an email when it’s available.

The company also offers apps for BlackBerry and iPhone.

via Android Guys