Score one for Microsoft: The Windows Phone 8 creator is finally making good on the Pandora app it promised last fall, complete with ad-free listening through the rest of 2013.
Windows Phone Central is reporting that Pandora has finally arrived for Windows Phone 8 on Thursday, with the free app landing in the U.S., Australian and New Zealand stores complete with a premium experience until the end of the year.
While iOS and Android users may shrug their shoulders and ask, "So what?", Pandora is a very big checkmark off Microsoft's to-do list. First announced alongside Windows Phone 8 last October, the app arrives with the same rich feature set found on other platforms as well as what WPCentral calls "some unique trimmings" such as Live Tiles and Kid's Corner support, the latter of which uses the device parental controls to keep explicit content out of the ears of your little ones.
The biggest coup for Windows Phone 8 owners is that Microsoft has cut a deal with Pandora to bring ad-free, personalized radio to its platform at no cost to the user through the end of the 2013 calendar year.
“Pandora for Windows Phone takes advantage of these features and more to deliver a free personalized music experience exclusive to the platform,” said Joe Belfiore, VP, Windows Phone Division, Microsoft Corp. in a press release.
Looks like Pandora fans on iOS and Android have something to feel jealous about their Windows Phone 8 friends for the next nine months or so…
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(Image courtesy of Windows Phone Central)
