AP Mobile App Reengineered, Now Universal
March 5, 2012
The Associated Press today announced the release of a major redesign of its popular iOS app, AP Mobile. First released in August 2008, the free app has received numerous updates since that time, most recently in December. Now, for the first time, the app is universal and available on the iPhone/iPod touch and iPad.
AP Mobile Version 5.0 includes a significantly new visual design that goes beyond the latest news headlines by introducing rich content available exclusively on the app. Two new sections in particular are most significant; Big Stories and Local News.
Big Stories features in-depth major stories told through the use of text, photos, videos and interactive graphics. In addition, the section includes a direct link for users to send news tips to AP. Stories given the “Big Story” treatment in 2012 will include expanded coverage of the US presidential election and the Olympics, among other scheduled events and breaking news stories.
The Local News section, meanwhile, enables users to find stories from their favorite local publications, with content coming from 1000+ sources. Users can find the news they wish to receive by entering the city or Zip Code of their choice.
Finally, AP Mobile now includes the organization’s first use of its new visual identify and logo. The new logo is the first in more than 30 years.
According to Tom Curley, president and CEO of The Associated Press:
“AP Mobile is now the most robust and easy-to-navigate mobile app for news.”The new AP Mobile app is unique to the iOS platform; the changes mentioned are not yet available via BlackBerry, Android or Windows Phone 7. The universal app is available now in the App Store.
