Apple has finally launched the Apple News Plus subscription service in the UK, around six months after it arrived in the United States.
Apple is bringing more than 150 popular newspapers and magazines which are available on tap to subscribers, including both current and back issues. The £9.99 a month service includes a one-month free trial and is accessible via the iOS app for iPhone and iPad, as well as macOS.
So what’s on offer? Apple is highlighting The Times and The Sunday Times, Cosmopolitan UK, Elle UK, Esquire UK, FourFourTwo, Empire, Hello!, Cyclist and Grazia as specialist UK publications.
The US-based publications on offer include newspapers, magazines and digital titles like The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Businessweek, National Geographic, Rolling Stone, Vox and more.
The value isn’t quite there yet compared to the $9.99 a month US service, which is around £8.00 in the UK. US subscribers get access to more than 300 publications, while UK users get half that.
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It’s still potentially good value if you tend to spend more than a tenner per month on newspapers and magazines, depending on the titles within the library.
In our review of the US version of Apple News, published in April 2019 we labelled the app and service a work in progress with a somewhat clunky experience, but plenty of content to make it decent value for money.
“It’s not just about the magazines you already read but, but those you never would. News Plus is great for highlighting content you’re interested in, from mags you’d probably never buy. I wouldn’t buy Eating Well magazine, but the News Plus homepage led me to an interesting article on ‘Healthy or Hype’ foods.
“Effectively, the News Plus homepage is webifying the magazine world, and this could be where Apple News Plus finds its true purpose. Right now though, unlike Apple Music or an equivalent music streaming service, the app feels far from essential.”
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
