AI readers pick: Your favorite news app for iPhone and iPad is Apple News

AppleInsider · December 18, 2015 4:50PM

We asked our AppleInsider readers to vote for the best news reading app for iOS. The winner is the stock Apple News app that comes built into iOS 9, with competitor Flipboard coming in second.

Last week we asked you to weigh in on your favorite news app for iPhone and iPad. You nominated: Twitter, SmartNews, Notify by Facebook, Google News, Flipboard, Breaking News, and Apple News.

After thousands of votes...

The winner of the AppleInsider Reader's Choice Award goes to the stock News app that's built in to iOS -- Apple News. Two contests in a row, it was a resounding victory for the Apple-created apps, with Apple's stock Notes app winning last time. Apple's News app was first released with the iOS 9 update in September.

The biggest knock against the stock News app is that it's availability is presently limited to the U.S., U.K., and Australia. Even if you live in one of these countries with access to the News app, Apple shuts off your access when traveling to China, for example.

We have detailed many of the features that News brings. In fact, it is very similar to the our runner up, Flipboard. Both share a magazine-inspired layout with large images and the ability to follow topics.

Many users pointed out that the lines are blurring between what constitutes a "news app" and what is simply a glorified RSS reader. We decided to include them all, as different people use different types of applications to source and read their news. Finally, Feedly, Zite, BBC News, and News 360 weren't initially nominated but were written in by enough voters to make the final list.

Final Results

1. Apple News (37%)
2. Flipboard (20%)
3. Twitter (7%)
4. Google News (7%)
5. Feedly (4%)
6. SmartNews (4%)
7. Zite (acquired by Flipboard) (2%)
8. Breaking News (2%)
9. BBC News (1%)
10. News 360 (1%)
11. Notify by Facebook (0%)

dasanman69 · December 18, 2015 4:57PM

I just recently started using the stock news app, and I absolutely love it.

friedmud · December 18, 2015 5:06PM

The News App is really good... and it is _awesome_ on an iPad Pro. It feels like holding a digital magazine... like those seen in futuristic movies (or kind of like a Harry Potter newspaper). It's huge, bright and super smooth. The thing I really like about all of the Apple Apps these days is that syncing is seamless between all of my devices... and that includes the News App. I love that I see the same news stream on my iPhone as I do on my iPad. Now, we just need the same App for OSX...

wovel · December 18, 2015 5:38PM

Fine when it loads. Sometimes loading new stories takes way too long. Apple should also add an option to keep configuration and position in synch between devices.

neilh · December 18, 2015 5:45PM

the stock News app in iOS 9 is just a very simple, but very well designed and very user friendly app... Nothing else come remotely close...

quadra 610 · December 18, 2015 5:53PM

Still not available in Canada (though I do have the news feed available via right swipe.)

edited December 2015

boltsfan17 · December 18, 2015 6:22PM

I love the stock news app. It's great being able to check out sports news and National Geographic articles all in one place.

hmlongco · December 18, 2015 6:38PM

I loved Zite but Flipboard took it over, refused to update it, and then discontinued it this month. Apparently they thought that Flipboard met everyone's needs.

It didn't, so I switched to Apple News.

dysamoria · December 18, 2015 7:01PM

I finally tried it out. I chose "my favorites". Then it showed me mostly stories from sources I didn't choose. Done.

i hate "the news" anyway. Surest way to have a bad day is to suck in all the BS that media companies obsess over because it sells advertising.

dasanman69 · December 18, 2015 7:04PM

dysamoria said:

I finally tried it out. I chose "my favorites". Then it showed me mostly stories from sources I didn't choose. Done.

i hate "the news" anyway. Surest way to have a bad day is to suck in all the BS that media companies obsess over because it sells advertising.

If you chose a 'topic' instead of a specific site you're going to get news of the topic from various sources.

mvigod · December 18, 2015 8:25PM

You polled an audience of hardcore Apple fans and followers and they picked apple news over the others? Is anyone surprised? Not sure this poll represents the whole USA or world though. This is like polling who is your favorite baseball team at Yankee stadium. Pretty sure the Yankees will win that.

Not saying the Apple app is bad. Just the poll is meaningless because of the audience polled

techlover · December 18, 2015 8:42PM

I prefer using a browser over a dedicated app for things like the news.

Opening multiple links in multiple tabs is what I prefer when browsing news, sports, and in general the web.

I guess I am old school.

euge · December 18, 2015 8:44PM

mvigod said:

You polled an audience of hardcore Apple fans and followers and they picked apple news over the others? Is anyone surprised? Not sure this poll represents the whole USA or world though. This is like polling who is your favorite baseball team at Yankee stadium. Pretty sure the Yankees will win that.

Not saying the Apple app is bad. Just the poll is meaningless because of the audience polled

The poll isn't meaningless because of the audience polled. It is targeted towards AI readers and gives us insight into the AI community. The title is specific in this as well, starting with "AI readers pick." It would be completely different and inaccurate if it had been entitled something like, "People prefer Apple's News app over others."

Even if it's no surprise that Apple's News app came out first, it gives us insight into how much of AI's reader population prefers it over other apps. The poll is clearly targeted towards AI readers.

Plus it started this thread. I thought it interesting to read why other switched. I also found it interesting that "Feedly, Zite, BBC News, and News 360 weren't initially nominated but were written in by enough voters to make the final list."

sirlance99 · December 18, 2015 8:47PM

techlover said:

I prefer using a browser over a dedicated app for things like the news.

Opening multiple links in multiple tabs is what I prefer when browsing news, sports, and in general the web.

I guess I am old school.

I'm the same way. Sometimes there is a link within the article itself that I want to read after I'm finished. So websites are where I go mostly.

bb-15 · December 18, 2015 8:56PM

mvigod said:

You polled an audience of hardcore Apple fans and followers and they picked apple news over the others? Is anyone surprised? Not sure this poll represents the whole USA or world though. This is like polling who is your favorite baseball team at Yankee stadium. Pretty sure the Yankees will win that.

Not saying the Apple app is bad. Just the poll is meaningless because of the audience polled

Obviously the poll does not represent "the whole USA". It is a poll of Apple Insider readers. And the poll is not meaningless. Apple customers will not automatically use an Apple app. For instance when Apple Maps first broke away from using Google data, Apple Maps was not that good. And at first Google Maps was used more often on iOS. But after a while Apple Maps got better and more Apple customers used it compared with Google Maps . So, asking AI readers about their favorite news app / site is helpful to see how well apps are doing with Apple customers.

techlover · December 18, 2015 9:14PM

bb-15 said:

mvigod said:

You polled an audience of hardcore Apple fans and followers and they picked apple news over the others? Is anyone surprised? Not sure this poll represents the whole USA or world though. This is like polling who is your favorite baseball team at Yankee stadium. Pretty sure the Yankees will win that.

Not saying the Apple app is bad. Just the poll is meaningless because of the audience polled

Obviously the poll does not represent "the whole USA". It is a poll of Apple Insider readers. And the poll is not meaningless. Apple customers will not automatically use an Apple app. For instance when Apple Maps first broke away from using Google data, Apple Maps was not that good. And at first Google Maps was used more often on iOS. But after a while Apple Maps got better and more Apple customers used it compared with Google Maps . So, asking AI readers about their favorite news app / site is helpful to see how well apps are doing with Apple customers.

I wonder what the usage numbers of Apple Maps versus Google Maps would be if the user could select Google Maps as the default app.

brakken · December 18, 2015 9:58PM

Wow. Mr Reader didn't even get a showing ;(( I'm disappointed with Apple's News because it only represents corporate news services, and it has none of Mr Reader's customisability.

bluefire1 · December 19, 2015 3:44AM

brakken said:

Wow. Mr Reader didn't even get a showing ;(( I'm disappointed with Apple's News because it only represents corporate news services, and it has none of Mr Reader's customisability.

I never heard of Mr Reader, but thanks to you, I'm giving it a try.

satchmo · December 19, 2015 4:12AM

quadra 610 said:

Still not available in Canada (though I do have the news feed available via right swipe.)

FYI, you can get Apple News in Canada, by changing region to United States in your General preferences.

nevermark · December 19, 2015 5:17PM

bb-15 said:

mvigod said:

You polled an audience of hardcore Apple fans and followers and they picked apple news over the others? Is anyone surprised? [...]

Obviously the poll does not represent "the whole USA". It is a poll of Apple Insider readers. And the poll is not meaningless. [...]

Not 100% meaningless just mostly meaningless. Perhaps you have some business or personal reason for caring about Apple Insider readership behavior instead of actual Apple customer behavior, but most people don't.

And even with Apple Maps vs Google Maps, there is a huge advantage for Apple Maps. (I am not making any judgement about either, just pointing out that it is not a level playing field.)

There is always some self-wanking on fan sites, it is to be expected. But at least recognize that instead of denying it.

For what its worth, I do like and use Apple News.

A more meaningful poll would have been the usage rates of Apple News vs. news apps on Android, or simply a timeline of Apple News usage. In both cases, what customer preference was being revealed would be clearer.

quadra 610 · December 19, 2015 10:10PM

satchmo said:

quadra 610 said:

Still not available in Canada (though I do have the news feed available via right swipe.)

FYI, you can get Apple News in Canada, by changing region to United States in your General preferences.

Thank you, but I shouldn't have to.

AI readers pick: Your favorite news app for iPhone and iPad is Apple News

After thousands of votes...

Final Results

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