The Economist Group has launched an Android version of The Economist, following the success if the iPhone and iPad versions. The app is free to download from Android Market and includes free access to the editors weekly selection of six “must-read” articles.

A single subscription to The Economist, whether print or digital, now gives customers full access to The Economist via all the Android, iPhone and iPad apps, and to The Economist online.

“Since they were launched in November 2010, our iPhone and iPad apps have been downloaded over 2.4m times worldwide, and we now have almost 700,000 unique devices accessing the apps each month,” says Oscar Grut, managing director, digital editions. “We are delighted with these numbers, and also with the feedback from our readers. Our Android app provides the same exceptional reading experience.”

Each week’s issue of The Economist is available to download via the apps from 9pm London time (5pm New York time) on a Thursday. Once downloaded, issues are stored on the users device, making it possible to read the newspaper in full without an internet connection. Each issue also includes the full audio edition, with all articles read by professional newscasters, for easy switching between reading and listening.

Digital and print subscriptions to The Economist can be bought via The Economist website. Single issues and digital subscriptions can also be bought via the apps. Single issues via the Android app are priced at $5.99/ £3.99/€5.40. Subscription prices are available on the website.

The Android version of The Economist was built by TigerSpike, and runs on all Android phones and small and medium tablets running OS 2.x.