Of all the services Apple announced at Monday’s “It’s show time” event, the only one available now is Apple News+. As an avid reader, I subscribed immediately and am a big fan.
Apple News+ is a $9.99/month subscription service that brings together over 300 popular magazines, leading newspapers, and digital publishers into a curated experience within the Apple News app. Apple says that it would cost over $8,000 to subscribe to all the publications individually, and I believe that price. You’ll still be subjected to ads, but that’s to be expected at this price point.
Available in the US and Canada, Apple News+ presents articles from publications that I love to read, such as Runner’s World, Men’s Health, Billboard, Reader’s Digest, Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone, Macworld, and Billboard.
A lot more folks will be tempted to subscribe thanks to content from magazines and newspaper such as Vogue, National Geographic Magazine, People, ELLE, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, The Atlantic, Better Homes & Gardens, Bon Appétit, Condé Nast Traveler, ELLE, 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, Sports Illustrated, TIME, Travel + Leisure, Vanity Fair, Vogue, WIRED, Toronto Star, and Woman’s Day.
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.If you don’t wish to subscribe, you can still enjoy enjoy the free news experience within the Apple News app on the iPhone, iPad and Mac.
However, if you read more than one of the above-mentioned publications, I’d definitely opt for for the “+” version. It offers designed layouts, featuring animated covers, vivid photography and bold typography that looks fantastic — especially on the iPad. Personally, I find the iPhone screen (even the biggest ones) too small for prolonged reading. The Mac version of Apple News+ seems less polished than the iPad version (but I’m still glad it’s available on macOS).
Also, you should note that some publications don’t take advantage of the animated, interactive features available in Apple News+. Those are available in PDF-like pages, which are less engaging, but still fine.
You should also note that there is a “gotcha” when it comes to The Wall Street Times. You don’t have to pay the $40 a month that the newspaper charges for digital access, but Apple News+ presents a curated slate of stories that are tailored to you as well as a general audience.
To access more articles and topics, you’ll have to go looking for them via the Following tab of the app. Also, there’s only three days’ worth of articles available on a single day. There’s also limited access to New Yorker articles.
Still, for the price, you’ll have easy, quick access to more articles than you can probably read. As mentioned, Apple News+ is available now 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 — and that makes a great deal even better. Apple News+ will be available in the UK and Australia later this year.
Apple World Today Rating (out of 5 stars): ★★★★★
