Apple Announces Apple News+ $9.99 a Month Subscription Service With Access to Over 300 Publications

[udontno]

I am torn on this. I read the news, but not every day. I mainly read the big headline type stuff. I'm 26 and a librarian, so I definitely appreciate the news. Magazines to me seem to be going out... I subscribe to several in my library, but they don't get read much and they mostly seem to end up being used for craft projects. :-/ I have contemplated ditching all of them.

I am considering doing the trial to see what I think. Might as well. I subscribe to Kindle Unlimited (well, a friend pays the bill since she often uses my Prime account) and I know I can access magazines though Kindle Unlimited. I wonder how the magazine offerings compare. It would be nice if there was an article with comparisons out there somewhere. I'm also sure I could read magazines through my local library, but I haven't been in there since I moved to the area (shame, shame... but I have plenty to read in my school library!)

 

[Apple_Robert]

I am torn on this. I read the news, but not every day. I mainly read the big headline type stuff. I'm 26 and a librarian, so I definitely appreciate the news. Magazines to me seem to be going out... I subscribe to several in my library, but they don't get read much and they mostly seem to end up being used for craft projects. :-/ I have contemplated ditching all of them.

I am considering doing the trial to see what I think. Might as well. I subscribe to Kindle Unlimited (well, a friend pays the bill since she often uses my Prime account) and I know I can access magazines though Kindle Unlimited. I wonder how the magazine offerings compare. It would be nice if there was an article with comparisons out there somewhere. I'm also sure I could read magazines through my local library, but I haven't been in there since I moved to the area (shame, shame... but I have plenty to read in my school library!)

In my opinion, your use case would work well using the Feedly app.

 

[wlad]

Ok so managed to get it working in the UK, however can't say I am very impressed with the app. Same reason I am using spotify vs apple music. Their dedicated apps suck, I'm not sure who's in charge of them but nope, big flop, the idea is nice, the execution sucks.

Also, the variety of newspapers at this point is inexistent, think they kind of rushed to launch this service, the way they list magazine articles is an absolute joke. They should do a major overhaul to the apps and signup more news outlets.

 

[BigMcGuire]

Family Sharing is supposed to be included with News+, but it’s not listed under Family Sharing for me. I don’t know if it’s just during the free trial or what, but I can’t share it with my family members.

It works with family sharing. My wife’s iPad has it. Make sure they update to iOS 12.2.

Was sad to see Ars Technica not on here. I pay $50 a year for that. WSJ is work provided but getting WSJ for my family along with magazines and la times? We are going to give it a month at least. I see us keeping this.

 

[AppleScruff1]

For $10 a month, that is a rather anemic list, especially with the ANF format with several magazines.

I had something similar with a few digital magazines I subscribed to. Being able to read each issue was a nightmare, even with the Mac. I quit even trying after a while. If the ANF is anything like that, I won't waste my time.

On the Apple site it says “ the best and most relevant articles...” does that mean that you don’t get the complete magazine? Also, will you be able to view past issues or once the next issue comes out, no more access to the previous issue?

I actually like several magazines on the list, not enough to subscribe to 10+ of them, but maybe to read party’s of many of them. For $120 year, I could subscribe to 6-10 of them, but I probably wouldn’t. However, I’d give some thought to trying it out because there are 15+ that I’d take a look at.

 

[Apple_Robert]

On the Apple site it says “ the best and most relevant articles...” does that mean that you don’t get the complete magazine? Also, will you be able to view past issues or once the next issue comes out, no more access to the previous issue?

I actually like several magazines on the list, not enough to subscribe to 10+ of them, but maybe to read party’s of many of them. For $120 year, I could subscribe to 6-10 of them, but I probably wouldn’t. However, I’d give some thought to trying it out because there are 15+ that I’d take a look at.

I could be wrong but, I think the curated aspect is just an enticing way to get you interested in other articles from different magazines based on your past viewing.

As to past article availability, that is up in the air at the moment. I haven't seen any specific references to that aspect.

 

[AppleScruff1]

I could be wrong but, I think the curated aspect is just an enticing way to get you interested in other articles from different magazines based on your past viewing.

As to past article availability, that is up in the air at the moment. I haven't seen any specific references to that aspect.

So it would be like Google, giving suggestions based on reading history.

 

[Doctor Q]

Here’s a list of magazines available now.

https://www.macstories.net/news/a-c...s-available-for-apple-news-in-the-u-s-so-far/

Thanks. That includes a number of them that I'd be interested in. I'll need 25 hours a day to read them, but I'd still be interested.

 

[Apple_Robert]

So it would be like Google, giving suggestions based on reading history.

That is how I interpret it.

I am going to pass on the subscription for now. There isn't enough there to hold my interest. And with Feedly, I stay pretty full with material.

 

[npmacuser5]

First look at Apple News+...Total Garbage. Reality, Magazine only subscription. Absolutely Nothing new. The news, Washington Post 4 articles, cannot hold back my excitement. Zero news value. Need the entire publication in a friendly reader format.

Horrible interface on the Magazine side. Please give me a PDF reading in Adobe or Books. What a joke! Amazing piece of garbage.

The positive, a good number of Magazines if one can handle flipping page after page. Worst ever Apple user interface design.

The first month free, yea! Fix this total piece of Garbage or cannot see many renewing.

Makes Amazon look like media God’s. How embarrassing!

 

[AppleScruff1]

That is how I interpret it.

I am going to pass on the subscription for now. There isn't enough there to hold my interest. And with Feedly, I stay pretty full with material.

What’s Feedly?

 

[Shanghaichica]

Ok so managed to get it working in the UK, however can't say I am very impressed with the app. Same reason I am using spotify vs apple music. Their dedicated apps suck, I'm not sure who's in charge of them but nope, big flop, the idea is nice, the execution sucks.

Also, the variety of newspapers at this point is inexistent, think they kind of rushed to launch this service, the way they list magazine articles is an absolute joke. They should do a major overhaul to the apps and signup more news outlets.

How did you get it working in the UK?

 

[dvdlovr24]

I’ve now tried signing up on three different devices and it’s still not letting me subscribe. I’ve tried deleting the app and reinstalling, but still no luck. Guess I’ll try again tomorrow.

 

[Apple_Robert]

What’s Feedly?

Its a free RSS feed app that allows you to congregate all your favorite news sites and publications, YouTube subscriptions etc. in one place. It has an excellent user interface and reading the articles is very quick and easy. It also has dark mode. They do offer a premium version which allows you to do advanced searches in articles and publications etc, as well as getting access quicker to the latest offerings.
I get USA Today, MR, MacStories, 9to5, shopping, national news, cinema, Geek related etc. There is a huge amount of material one can pick from, not to mention inputting your own favorite RSS source manually.
[doublepost=1553563647][/doublepost]

I’ve now tried signing up on three different devices and it’s still not letting me subscribe. I’ve tried deleting the app and reinstalling, but still no luck. Guess I’ll try again tomorrow.

It appears there is a signup bug with the app. A lot of people have been experiencing the same problem.

 

[smorrissey]

Launching today, Apple News+ costs $9.99 a month in the U.S. and $12.99 a month in Canada, where it is available in both English and French.

Not for me then.

 

[davideotape]

I dont think its *that* bad but yah its all magazines. Unless I’m missing something it looks like they just ported Texture into the News app. Prime Reading already gives me a lot of these mags and yeah between that and RBDigital I don’t really see the need for this.

 

[CylonGlitch]

I was hoping they would offer $49.99/month for full access to their iTunes library. Unlimited music, video and books. I'd be all over that. $9.99 for news, no thanks. Television channels, who are going to ask way too much for their media, no thanks.

Honestly, one of the biggest disappointments from Apple in a while.

 

[yaxomoxay]

, unless News+ has managed to haul in some quarterly literary mags. Newspapers are my main thing.

Same here. Newspapers and quarterly!

 

[ipponrg]

Its a free RSS feed app that allows you to congregate all your favorite news sites and publications, YouTube subscriptions etc. in one place. It has an excellent user interface and reading the articles is very quick and easy. It also has dark mode. They do offer a premium version which allows you to do advanced searches in articles and publications etc, as well as getting access quicker to the latest offerings.
I get USA Today, MR, MacStories, 9to5, shopping, national news, cinema, Geek related etc. There is a huge amount of material one can pick from, not to mention inputting your own favorite RSS source manually.
[doublepost=1553563647][/doublepost]
It appears there is a signup bug with the app. A lot of people have been experiencing the same problem.

Don't forget to mention that you can use Feedly feeds with other RSS feed readers. For example, I use Newsify in iOS to consume Feedly feeds. At work, I keep a pinned tab of the Feedly website in my browser.

 

[rafark]

Lots and lots of people pay more than that for a newspaper subscription.

But you get to keep the mags/newspapers, you are buying a physical product a lot of people like to collect (like mags). In apple's case you are buying air. Not similar at all.

 

[JTBing]

But you get to keep the mags/newspapers, you are buying a physical product a lot of people like to collect (like mags). In apple's case you are buying air. Not similar at all.

Most people don't buy newspapers in order to collect them. Besides, saving digital content is far easier than savings bunches of magazines. If reading is your purpose, I'm not sure you have a point.

 

[Shanghaichica]

But you get to keep the mags/newspapers, you are buying a physical product a lot of people like to collect (like mags). In apple's case you are buying air. Not similar at all.

I don’t need physical media cluttering up my house. Although I guess some people like collecting magazines but for me I hate any type of physical media now (books, magazines, movies, CDs, newspapers).

 

[udontno]

I was hoping they would offer $49.99/month for full access to their iTunes library. Unlimited music, video and books. I'd be all over that. $9.99 for news, no thanks. Television channels, who are going to ask way too much for their media, no thanks.

Honestly, one of the biggest disappointments from Apple in a while.

A bundle will be how they suck me into a subscription.

 

[pdxa4]

Yup I'm a fan of Texure also, been with them for sometime.

I negotiated with them on a Premium subscription for $5 a month back in 2017.

I mostly use Texture for when I fly for work, long international flights. Just read my downloaded files.

Good point on old issues, I have several of my older magazines saved and like to look back at them.

Totally with you! I’m wondering if the trail is truncated in some way? Not giving us the full program? Because I’m a Texture subscriber, too and so far I’d rather use Texture than News+ for all the reasons you listed and more....

(1) I should be able to see ALL the magazine choices in Browse—and when I click on one, it should be added to “My Magazines.”

But I can’t see them all (you have to go through each category), and it seems that “My Magazines” only lets you have 5 magazines in the queue! That makes no sense to me. So, if I download National Geographic, I can read it, but then it will vanish if I download some other magazine—because there can only be X-number in the “My Magazines” area...meaning that next month I’ll have to find the new National Geo and download it AGAIN....

Texture has all my magazines in one place, and automatically downloads new ones. Shouldn’t News + be doing that?

(2) I’m SO on board with you on the past issues. Where are they? Texture let you browse old issues, which can become important. If I missed the March issue of National Geo on News +, am I out of luck? Lots of times I don’t get around to a magazine before the next issue appears. Without a “back issue” option, I’ll miss a lot of them. And if I am a subscriber, then aren’t I paying for those issues I’m missing? Shouldn’t I be able to have access to them? Not just to the ones out at the moment?

(3) No saved stories! I see that option for the regular News, but News+ isn’t offering a “saved stories” for the downloaded magazines. Again, Texture offers this. I can bookmark an article I read months ago and re-read it, or a recipe I liked. What the heck?

I, too, would like to find out what’s going on with this service. They bought Texture...why not bring over those features? Being able to see all magazines, automatic updates, back issue access, and save stories? I really want to know what the deal is, and I want to know if Texture will vanish. Because I want those features and I’ll keep Texture over News+ if I can in order to have them.

 

[BootsWalking]

Secondly - "the WSJ will provide only "a specially curated collection of general interest news from The Wall Street Journal" to Apple News Plus subscribers" - you will only get a selection of articles, not the full WSJ. The Wall Street Journal without the financial news is not the Wall Street Journal. Bit premature to cancel unless you only buy the WSJ for the politics and general news sections

WSJ just posted a new article about this, which I found and read on my new Apple News+ account Here's a relevant snippet:

"The partnership carries risks for the Journal, since each Apple user will generate much less subscription revenue for the company than a full-priced subscriber. Journal executives said they weren’t concerned about existing subscribers canceling service to shift to the Apple service, because the two offerings will be fundamentally different.

The Apple app will surface stories thought to be of interest to a general reader—that could be national news, politics, sports and leisure news, but also some business news, people familiar with the situation said. The paper’s entire slate of business and financial news will also be searchable within the app, but the thinking is that most users won’t consume much beyond what is actively presented to them.

Apple users will have access to only three days’ worth of the Journal’s archive, the people said. The Journal also negotiated terms that would allow it to drop out of the service, they said."

Source: https://apple.news/AXPjNaGCaT9ipjw3kNXEFGg

In other words, all WSJ articles will be available on News+ but will require a search to find any articles that aren't included in the News+ curation.