At WWDC in June, Apple announced that it signed 18 publishers for its News app which will replace its outdated Newsstand app. Though not yet launched, Apple’s News app now has more than 50 publishers on board, says Re/code.As we reported previously, the News app will be similar to Flipboard, delivering content from publishing partners like The Economist, Financial Times, Wired and The New York Times in a personalized feed of content and articles. Users will choose topics and interests; they can also select channels from publishers, including their top stories.On the publisher side of things, publishers can sell their own news apps within the app store, keeping 100% of the revenue generated. Apple benefits by selling unsold ad inventory, taking a cut of those ads, and by taking a 30% share of subscription revenue from apps sold through the app store.Apple News is not yet ready for prime time, but it will be soon. It will be part of the iOS 9 software update set to launch on September 16, according to TechRadar, followed by the September 25 release of the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus.Troy Young, who runs digital for Hearst, one of Apple’s media partners, told Re/code, “It’s not a hugely complicated application. What they bring to it is massive distribution, and they’re giving publishers the ability to present their brands, in a way that feels like those brands.”
Re/code isn’t convinced that News’ potential audience is a lock, stating the only successful news reader to date is Flipboard. A growing number of Americans are getting their news on Facebook and Twitter. In fact, in July 2015, Pew Research showed those numbers are increasing. If readers are consuming news via social media, or directly on publisher sites or through apps, will they even access Apple News?Insider Take:Like Re/code, we’re skeptical, but for different reasons. First, Apple let Newsstand die a slow, painful death. Apple initially put forth effort in its Newsstand app, but when it didn’t work properly, Apple didn’t invest resources to fix it, says Mashable. Instead, Apple ignored the product, focusing on shiny, new toys. Kind of like a car salesman. Once he’s sold you the car, or he knows you aren’t going to buy, he moves onto the next thing. You no longer matter.After all the fanfare about Apple News at WWDC, its launch next week has been on the quiet side. On Apple’s Hot News page, for example, it is the fifth item on the page, below previews of iOS 9. Is Apple News really ready to launch? If so, where is the big marketing rollout you’d expect from a corporate behemoth like Apple? Are publishers OK with the new release happening on the DL? Can the News App really entice iOS users if they don’t know it exists?We won’t judge the product before we can test it for ourselves, but like Re/code, we aren’t convinced that Apple’s got a winner here. Are you?~ Dana E. Neuts, Subscription Insider
