A news app from the BBC has been awaited for some time now, and iPhone and iPad users have had to resort to creating a home screen shortcut to the BBC news web site in the interim. But now an official new app has been released, and it does not disappoint.

The customisable start page is finger-friendly, with large icons providing access to individual stories. The categories that are displayed by default can be personalised to your taste, but shortcuts to other news sections are always available.

The main headlines in each category are displayed, and more can be accessed with a finger swipe. While navigation is easy, animation can be a little stutter at times. News stories you like can be shared with others via email, Facebook and Twitter and many article have embedded video.

The BBC News app can also be used to view live news so you can always keep up to date with the latest events from around the world. Both iPhone ad iPad versions of the app are impressive, but the iPad edition takes full advantage of the larger display and this allows for far faster navigation.

What's New in Version 4.7.1?

- We release regular updates to the BBC News app to fix issues and improve performance