Flipboard Officially Opens Up Their Android Beta To Interested Testers

Well, that was quick. The news of an impending Flipboard Android beta only began making the rounds earlier this morning, and now the Flipboard team has opened up the beta process to anyone interested in taking the plunge.

Users interested in taking the pre-release version of the app for a spin can mosey over to Flipboard’s Android landing page, where they can sign up for the beta and wait patiently to receive a download link in their inbox. The confirmation email mentions that the waiting period could stretch up to 24 hours, though we’re hearing that plenty of people are receiving their download links without too much of a delay.

I managed to get the new version of the app up and running on my trusty Galaxy Nexus, and so it far seems plenty responsive (not to mention handsome) despite its beta label. Scrolling through lists of sources to cull content from is terribly snappy, and I can only detect the faintest bit of lag as I touch those sources’ icons to see more. Assuming you’ve got some robust hardware at your disposal, you probably won’t run into too many issues.

Not every device will be as lucky, though. I downloaded and tested the app onto my backup handset — a not-terribly-old myTouch 4G — and was told upon installation that the device “does not meet the minimum requirements is not supported by Flipboard.” After selecting some categories to add to my Flipboard, the app stalled out. I guess it’s a good thing Flipboard decided on the route they did, and with any luck the final product will be free of hiccups when the more widespread launch takes place in the coming months.

Your mileage will certainly vary — that’s sort of the point of this whole exercise — and the Flipboard team would appreciate any feedback you intrepid testers may have. If the app happens to force close, be a good citizen and report the issue instead of just closing the app and starting from scratch, will you?