Apple will be letting game publishers use in-app subscriptions, too, according to a new report from Bloomberg. Big Fish Games is the first publisher to use the feature and will allow users to access dozens of its titles for a recurring fee of $6.99 per month. Read more »
Along with many other changes, iOS 5 ushers in Newsstand, Apple’s centralized hub for dealing with subscription-based digital newspapers and magazines. Many existing iOS apps already support Newsstand, so you may already have noticed it at work. Read more »
The Financial Times struck out on its own recently with a web-based mobile app, which replaces its native iOS apps. So far, the experiment has been a success, with the app already seing more traffic from the web app than from its iPhone and iPad applications. Read more »
One company is about to find out how web apps compete with native iOS App Store offerings in a very direct sense. The Financial Times is out of the App Store, and now depends on an HTML5 tablet-optimized site alone for presence on Apple devices. Read more »
Apple’s stable of periodicals available for in-app subscription got a little bigger with the release of an update to Reader’s Digest magazine on Thursday. Reader’s Digest is now offering annual subscriptions (10 issues) for $14.99, or monthly subscriptions at $1.99 through in-app purchase. Read more »
Back in February, Apple announced its in-app subscription API, and it provided an ultimatum that would force developers that sell content for use within their apps to also do so via in-app purchase, or face expulsion. Kindle seemed on the chopping block, but now Apple has relented. Read more »
Condé Nast continues its rollout of iPad magazine subscriptions with two marquee titles today, Wired and GQ. Both are now available both monthly for $1.99, and yearly for $19.99, and existing print subscribers will be able to access iPad editions for free. Read more »
Users of Apple magazine apps are likely to be repeat readers, are willing to share their personal info with publishers, and are often repeat users, according to a new report. All of which might explain why publishers are more and more eager to offer in-app subscriptions. Read more »
Condé Nast began offering in-app subscriptions for iPad versions of Allure, Glamour, Golf Digest and Vanity Fair on Monday. The publisher began offering The New Yorker iPad subscriptions just last week, marking the first time it has used Apple’s new in-app subscription system. Read more »
How many people might you expect to click “Allow” when face with Apple’s forbidding dialog asking you to “Share Your Information?” with publishers? According to a couple of very reliable sources, a surprising 50 percent of iOS subscribers are agreeing to pass their info along. Read more »
Condé Nast is the latest publisher to announce digital subscriptions for Apple’s iPad, and the deal represents a big victory for Cupertino. The publishers will begin offering The New Yorker via iPad subscription today, with seven other titles to follow by the end of May. Read more »
Apple won over two new publishers to its iOS subscription plans late Wednesday, including newspaper The Daily Telegraph and the real big fish, major magazine publisher Hearst. Hearst is behind many popular magazine brands, including O (The Oprah Magazine), Esquire and Popular Mechanics. Read more »
Time Inc. reached an agreement with Apple that allows U.S. print subscribers of Time Inc.’s magazines to get access to iPad versions for free. Instead of paying $4.99 per iPad issue, digital and print editions instead now cost about $0.28 per month via print subscription. Read more »
Apple is catching a few fish with vinegar, if the slow but steady stream of magazine publishers who’ve opted to accept the company’s new in-app subscription rules is any indication. Monday Bloomberg’s Businessweek joined the growing coalition of those willing to accept Apple’s prickly terms. Read more »
Considering the controversy surrounding Apple’s new in-app purchasing rules, Steve Jobs was bound to provide an email response to a concerned user/developer at some point. And he has, replying to one troubled dev that the new rules apply strictly to publishers, not to SaaS apps. Read more »
Apple’s new in-app subscription policy has drawn the attention of U.S. regulatory bodies, just as many suspected. Both the U.S. Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission are reportedly examining the new App Store rules with the aim of determining whether they violate antitrust laws. Read more »
Rhapsody has probably garnered the most attention for speaking out against Apple’s new subscription plans, but Last.fm co-founder Richard Jones probably takes the cake for most direct denunciation. Speaking in an IRC chat, Jones said “[A]pple just f****** over online music subs for the iPhone.” Read more »
Apple introduced App Store subscriptions this week. People disagree on the fairness of Apple’s 30-percent take of revenue resulting from subscriptions, but the feature is here to stay. Might its introduction signal a shift toward a new paradigm for paying for mobile apps? Read more »
There’s a lot of chatter out there that Apple’s new subscription plans could endanger its relationship with content providers, and might incur legal action. Apple may be in for a bumpy ride as it implements the new system, but don’t think it’s anywhere close to capsizing. Read more »
Apple today introduced in-app subscriptions in the iOS App Store, and there’s reason to believe the new revenue model could extend beyond publishers of periodicals like magazines and digital newspapers. Here are just a few of the other possible applications of subscription pricing. Read more »
Apple today finally released official details regarding App Store subscriptions. The system is the same one that launched alongside News Corp.’s “The Daily” on Feb. 2. Subscriptions in the App Store will be sold using the existing in-app purchasing system found in iOS. Read more »
