After several days of speculation, Apple have finally released their standalone Podcast app for the iPhone and the iPad.

In the App Store, Apple describes the app as a way to “discover, subscribe to and play your favorite podcasts”, everything a good podcast app should do.

For the first time users now have access to video podcasts. If features thousands of podcasts in over 40 languages. Podcast charts, a ‘Top Stations’ feature complete with categories, and embedded subscription tools to automatically download new episodes.

You now also have the option to stream podcasts, or download them to listen offline. There are simple controls to navigate your episodes, a nifty feature that is also included in iOS 6.

There is social network integration, so you can share podcasts you enjoy via Facebook and Twitter, and there are also new syncing options, so you can sink automatically between iTunes and your iDevice, you can also sync between devices should you switch from one to another midway through an episode.

@TiP_Stephen