The Internet Movie Database has launched a major update to its Android app, bringing entertainment news, a home screen widget with the latest news, and more features to Android phones. You can also now move the app to an SD card (although the widget won’t work properly if you do).

The app also has a new look and feel, with tabs across the top for movies, TV, showtimes, and other information, as well as a wall of movie poster thumbnails on the home screen which you can click to bring up trailers.

When you click on a tab you’re greeted with a row of large images for movies, TV shows, celebrities, or other information which you can expand by scrolling left or right, followed by links to more detailed information such as box office results, upcoming movies, and TV show recaps.

Probably one of the biggest changes for users outside the US is support for movie showtimes in 13 new countries including Canada, the UK, France, Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Columbia, Argentina, Chile, Australia, and New Zealand.

IMDb is also opening part of its app up to third party developers, allowing other apps to open activities in the IMDb app from other programs. For instance, if you had an app about celebrity gossip, you could include links that would open the IMDb app and show the page for each celebrity mentioned, complete with a brief biography and a detailed filmography.

Overall the new app is attractive, easier to use, and offers more features than the version I tested last summer. When moved to the SD card, it takes up very little disk space, and overall it’s a lot easier to navigate on a mobile device than the IMdb web site.

The new IMDb app for Android is available as a free download from the Android Market.

You can find more screenshots after the break.

Brad Linder

Brad Linder is editor of Liliputing and Mobiputing. He's been tinkering with mobile tech for decades and writing about it since...