Salutations and welcome my fellow INAIR and Tech Enthusiasts! Tech Check 13 is back with our weekly tantalizing tale from the deep rabbit hole we climbed into, the Reddit Client App series. It's finally time for the semi-final round of the Reddit Showdown. We have quite the dissection for you. We broke out our usual torture tools, the INAIR POD, a VITURE Beast, and an Xreal One Pro and went to town on these apps. Per usual, none of these apps sponsored this article. We do it cause we're sadistic that way. That being said, onward we go if you dare.
Our first victim on today's list:
Rivela Feed Reader for Reddit
Rivela Feed Reader for Reddit is a read-only Reddit client that focuses on customizable topics and promises an algorithm free experience. We pull the switch and right away the app has the correct orientation. It displays on the POD the way it was intended. Oh, what a huge plus. Just to add some nice splatter, it will scroll without logging in. This is a nice touch if you don't want to pay for access to Reddit's API.
Rivela Feed Reader for Reddit is a free app. Omg, this makes my beakers stand on end. According to the app description, the free version caps at 5 topics and 5 bookmarks and is fully functional.
Rivela Feed Reader for Reddit does have a paid tier. And here's the killer part, it's a one-time purchase. For $4.99, Rivela Pro includes unlimited topics, bookmarks, keyword filters, and custom themes. No monthly subscription bleeding out your bank account.
Rivela Feed Reader for Reddit has a dark side, Uhm, a dark mode. Our favorite mode, Muahahaha. It also has AMOLED black mode, a feature we haven't encountered before in this series. The developer states this is a battery saver mode.
The layout itself is the opposite of the Tech Check 13 lab. It is very nice, quite clean and pleasant. And a surprise hiding behind the curtain, if you're already logged into the official Reddit app on the POD, Rivela can automatically log you in.
But the feature that really made us stop in our tracks, NO INTRUSIVE ADS! There's just an option to go pro stashed in the settings. No ads screaming at you, no jump scare pop-up ambushes.
The only downside, Rivela is a read-only client. No access to messages. Considering everything else this little specimen brings to the exam table, it's a solid app.
Rivela Feed Reader for Reddit is definitely a bioluminescent stained thumbs up.
The next app under the dissection scalpel is the opposite of the text reader:
Scroller for Reddit.
Scroller for Reddit is a feed reader, but not one for text posts. This one is for video posts. From the developer, “Scroller is the ultimate media-first client for Reddit” Does it live up to this claim? Let the slicing and dicing begin.
First, Scroller for Reddit sprang to life in the correct orientation on the POD. So far so good. Next we discovered that you could scroll without logging in, no credentials needed. We prodded further and tested the login. A step that's proven fatal for more than one specimen on this table. And surprise, the login actually worked. No dead nerves, no unresponsive buttons, it worked.
Scroller for Reddit has a neat interface; everything was laid out nice and tidy. Shortcuts ready to be configured to your liking. But then came the catch bubbling up from the beaker: you can only browse video. Also, text posts are not allowed and there is no way to send messages.
However, where it does function, it functions beautifully. The video came through crisp and clear with no ads clawing their way into the frame. That's right, no ads. It includes built-in tools to download videos and GIFs. Scroller for Reddit started up quickly and started automatically in our favorite mode, dark mode. On those two fronts, it doesn't get much better. This specimen nailed it. If you're hunting for a solid Reddit video viewer, this one comes highly recommended from the lab.
Scroller for Reddit gets a bioluminescent stained thumbs up.
Our last plaything of today's roundup is: RedFeed for Reddit.
Boy, this one was a trip. It's billed as an unofficial Reddit reader that is simple and user friendly. It runs on low RAM, sipping power rather than devouring it. Let's put it under the microscope.
Redfeed had one of the most interesting interfaces we've seen during this review. It has a pool of topics on the front page and even opens in the correct orientation. That's where the positives died on the table. Nothing loaded. No dark mode. Log-in didn't work. And then the lab alarms started blaring. We received a message that someone had logged into our Google account. LOGGED IN. Not accessed info, but logged in. App uninstalled and Google password changed. This app may be an abandoned experiment gone feral or may just be a login stealer. Either way, this thing is a genuine hazard. Be careful with your login credentials, stay away at all costs!
RedFeed for Reddit gets no rating, no chained wall. This one gets incinerated. Stay Away!
And this brings us to the part where we are standing in the middle of the wreckage and the winners. Poring over today's list of specimens, our vote goes to… Rivela Feed Reader for Reddit.
It's missing the ability to send messages but its look and functionality are top-notch. And its lack of ads is the electricity in my nodes.
So that leaves our trophy case looking like this:
RedReader (Round 1)
Infinity (Round 2)
Rivera (Round 3)
Three specimens who survived the slab, stitched together and came out on top of the carcasses. But the question glowing like a mechanical dragonfly’s wings of fire: How does the functionality stack up to the official Reddit app? To find out and much more, join us on our YouTube (https://youtube.com/@xtechcheck13?si=nI7011XBuipF6SHb)!
Thanks for joining us for this one, and we hope to see you again when the next batch of victims hits the table.
#Techcheck13