Apple today announced Apple News+, a new subscription service that brings together over 300 popular magazines, leading newspapers and digital publishers into a beautiful, convenient and curated experience within the Apple News app. Available in the US and Canada, Apple News+ presents the best and most relevant articles to meet any range of interests from renowned publications such as Vogue, National Geographic Magazine, People, ELLE, The Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times.
Apple News+ adds an even more expansive collection of high-quality stories to the free experience of Apple News, which is the No. 1 news app and delivers current events coverage from trusted sources. All Apple News users in the US, Canada, UK and Australia can continue to enjoy the free news experience within the app on iPhone, iPad and Mac, including access to Top Stories, Trending Stories and a personalized feed of articles.
“We’re committed to supporting quality journalism, and with Apple News+, we want to celebrate the great work being done by magazines and news outlets,” said Lauren Kern, editor-in-chief of Apple News, in a statement. “We think the breadth and quality of publications within Apple News+ will encourage more people to discover stories and titles they may never have come across before.”
Apple News+ subscribers can access current and past issues and individual articles from magazines such as The Atlantic, Better Homes & Gardens, Bon Appétit, Condé Nast Traveler, ELLE, Entertainment Weekly, ESPN The Magazine, Esquire, Food & Wine, Good Housekeeping, GQ, Health, InStyle, Martha Stewart Living, National Geographic, New York Magazine, The New Yorker, O, The Oprah Magazine, Parents, People, Real Simple, Rolling Stone, Runner’s World, Sports Illustrated, TIME, Travel + Leisure, Vanity Fair, Vogue, WIRED and Woman’s Day.
In addition, Apple News+ includes The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times and Toronto Star, Canada’s largest daily newspaper. Apple News+ also provides access to premium online publications such as theSkimm, The Highlight by Vox, New York Magazine’s sites Vulture, The Cut and Grub Street, and Extra Crunch from Verizon Media’s TechCrunch.
Apple News+ showcases magazines in richly designed layouts, featuring animated covers, vivid photography and bold typography optimized for iPhone, iPad and Mac. It makes reading articles even more fun, immersive and convenient. In the Today and News+ tabs, subscribers will be presented with individual article and issue recommendations based on both editorial curation and personalized suggestions that maintain user privacy.
“Apple News+ validates the power of premium content from great and trusted brands, and being a part of it makes good business sense,” said Tom Harty, president and CEO of Meredith, in a statement. “Apple News+ will be an extremely valuable mass platform to attract new paid subscribers to our titles.”
“At Hearst Magazines, we are hyperfocused on creating consumer value through our storied brands, high-quality content and great experiences,” said Troy Young, president of Hearst Magazines, in a statement. “Apple News+ amplifies our ability to do this in a premium environment with a key audience, elevating the digital magazine experience for millions of iPhone, iPad and Mac users.”
“We’re constantly innovating how we connect with our audiences and bring them the content they crave on the platforms they use every day,” said Bob Sauerberg, president and CEO of Condé Nast, in a statement. “Apple News+ represents an exciting opportunity to bring a premium experience to millions more readers, so they can enjoy the conversation-shifting journalism, influential points of view and unparalleled visual storytelling they’ve come to expect from our brands.”
“We are proud to work with Apple, a company that believes in the profound importance of journalism and journalists,” said Robert Thomson, chief executive of News Corp, in a statement. “The Wall Street Journal is certainly the most trusted newspaper in the US and its coverage of politics, business, economics, national news and lifestyle issues is nonpareil. We expect through the Apple platform, our journalism will reach and inform many more millions of readers, viewers and listeners around the country and the world.”
“Apple News+ provides a perfect platform for our expanded coverage of news, analysis and opinion,” said Norman Pearlstine, executive editor of Los Angeles Times, in a statement. “We share a world vision that is informed by our California roots and by our common commitment to innovation and excellence.”
Pricing and Availability
Apple News+ is available today in the US for $9.99 a month and in Canada for $12.99 a month. Customers can sign up for a free one-month trial, and the plan automatically renews after the trial ends. To sign up for Apple News+, customers must update to iOS 12.2 or macOS 10.14.4. Through Family Sharing, up to six family members can share one Apple News+ subscription. Apple News+ will be available in the UK and Australia later this year.
MacDailyNews Take: So, are you sold?
Do texture subscriptions automatically convert?
The whole thing was totally underwhelming.
Apple didn’t even need this presentation, since they showed nothing of substance. Just a lot of flash with nothing.
So, I currently subscribe to the WSJ at over $40 per month. I only use and get the web version (in CA the print version of the WSJ is taxed and, because I believe that taxation of First Amendment media is obnoxious and probably unconstitutional, I have the print version sent to my son in Illinois).
Now, could I get that exact same web-based subscription for just $10 per month via Apple? Hard to believe…but, perhaps. Got to check this out.
Apparently it’s curated general interest news from the WSJ. Too good to be true
That was the big draw for me. If WSJ is not really included, kinda not worth it to me.
Damn that sucks. I was gonna subscribe just for the WSJ
MYoung — What the heck is “First Amendment media”? As opposed to all other media? Do you honestly think charging sales tax on newspapers and magazine is unconstitutional?? Sheesh…
The operative case is Grosjean v. American Press Co. In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court found a 2% sales tax unconstitutional. The Court found that this tax was similar to the British Stamp Act of 1712 in that it would suppress free speech through taxation and that allowing a similar law in the US would be against the intent of the Bill of Rights. The issue has not, to the best of my knowledge, contested in California. Go figure.
The news in general is a bunch of garbage these days. Why the hell would I want to pay to have someone try and tell me how to think?
Quite right.
Rather sit in a dark room with your head up your butt.
Yes, it’s so much better to turn on Fox News and Rush Limbaugh and have someone tell you how to think for free. Derp.
No fine art magazines, not even any top notch ones like Art Forum, Flash Art, or Juxtapoz? I am not wishing for technique-based watercolor mags either.
That’s probably because Tim doesn’t carry about the “Crazy Ones” mindset. Milk-toast is just fine. Subscriptions, as an annuity, are now the way Apple “innovates”. Hopefully good for the stock price, but a detour re: the company’s history of invention.
It’s actually because printed fine art magazines have a relatively low circulation and a relatively high price. If they were on News+, many readers would stop directly subscribing, and circulation would plummet. That would not only undercut magazine sales but also demolish advertising revenues. The economics work for high-circulation publications with low cover prices, but not expensive specialist publications.
The Economist?
Apple the innovator has died with Steve Jobs. Apple is now the me-too corporation, consistently late to the game. Reminds me of another company of old… MS. Sad.
Because Apple is including so many corporate-leaning magazines, it should also include labor-leaning magazines.
Because so many of them tout Corporate Union values, it should include those touting Worker Union values too. I mean, it’s only equitable.
An example of a corporate unions is the Grocery Manufacturers Association. The rank and file businesses like Coca Cola and Kraft belonging to the GMA spent millions to defeat CA Proposition 37, the mandatory labeling of all GMO products.
An example of a worker union is the AFL-CIO that promotes anti-child later, lunch breaks, vacations, and generally better factory worker conditions and wages.
AFL-CIO etc may have achieved many great things and have a great role WRT stuff like worker safety, but they have also achieved achieved spectacular new heights in corruption and billions for organized crime. Not to mention states like NJ and IL where their political influence has granted insane benefits packages with lifetime healthcare and guaranteed pension returns of 7% or more that have drained the states’ coffers and put a huge toll on the working men and women who are not members of this privileged class.
I’m sick of public sector unions striking because workers are being asked to pay just a small fraction of their own healthcare costs when my family pays – I kid you not – $30K a year our of my own pocket between our “insurance”, deductibles, uncovered items like dental, vision etc. These entitled people are the antithesis of a “worker” union. They are takers and perpetuating a socially unjust healthcare system.
For those with Amazon Prime, there are magazines under Prime Reading that overlap with Apple’s offerings. More for the light reader though and I don’t think you can look at back issues. Might be something that slows new subscriptions, especially if Amazon decides to increase the number of monthly free titles in response to Apple’s new service.
My newly updated iPhone 8+ cannot keep update Apple News readable. It keeps seeming to quit on its own, even though News is still open in the background.
Unbalanced choices. I heard they want to influence the culture. Well so do I please include Catholic publications..