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Flipboard responds to Apple’s News app, says it released the same thing 5 years ago

We’ve already heard what many of the top streaming music services have to say regarding Apple Music, but now another company with whom Apple is now competing has commented on its new battle. At WWDC, Apple introduced a new News app that will be built into iOS 9 when it launches later this fall. The app features a magazine-style interface that when showed off for the first time, prompted many comparisons to the popular Flipboard reading app.

It appears that users weren’t the only ones to notice the similarities. During an interview on BBC’s Tech Tent show, Flipboard CEO Mike McCue commented on Apple’s foray into the news app market. McCue noted that what Apple showed off is something that Flipboard made available originally more than five years ago. McCue also pointed out that just because Flipboard is now competing with Apple there is no reason for the two to stop working together.

McCue’s full statement regarding Apple’s News app and how the two companies will interact now that they are competitors:

We’re clearly onto something at Flipboard. What Apple was showing is something that we actually shipped five years ago. In the world that we live into today, you have to be able to both work with companies, and even when they’re competing with you on certain fronts that doesn’t mean you don’t work with them. There’s still opportunities to work with them. And in doing that, what you can typically find are ways in which you can continue to grow. This is not a winner take all situation.

Flipboard originally launched in 2010, the same year as the iPad. The company was founded by Mike McCue and former iPhone engineer Evan Doll.

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Comments

  1. Robert Nixon - 9 years ago

    Get the fuck over yourself, Flipboard. You didn’t invent digital magazines, you didn’t invent curated news apps, the only noteworthy thing that you did that was being the first popular news app on the iPad.

    • PMZanetti - 9 years ago

      They got a lot of undue attention early on. They seem to still get a lot of attention every time there is an App update. No one ever seems to judge them on the quality of their layouts, however. I tried it, and immediately stopped using it, because I thought it did a terrible job of collating the article images, and size/position of articles by default.
      The demo of Apple News looked really good, and much more like what I want a News reader to look like.

      • incredibilistic - 9 years ago

        I have to agree. Every time I wanted to scroll I saw a flip-up animation which while cool was a bit distracting. I think the flip-up animation is cool while you’re browsing for stories but once you’re in a story it should scroll like normal. Basically it’s overused.

        Also, Flipboard doesn’t have those cool little animations on articles like the upcoming News app so other than the flip-up animation it’s not doing anything else that not’s already being done by other news curators.

    • rnc - 9 years ago

      For me, Flipboard was a pretty Google Reader client… then GReader died and Feedly took over…

      They didn’t support Feedly, or offered a solution for cloud sync, and availability on Android+Web Desktop, like Feedly…

      They died for me a long ago…

  2. Mike (@wh33ln) - 9 years ago

    Flipboard’s greatest advantage is the social integration and discussion platform. Apple is going to hit it big by providing a rich consumption experience. I am interested how flipboad would “work together” on a competing service. At first, my opinion is that Apple will attract all flipboard users who are not tied into the social aspects.

    • dugbug - 9 years ago

      Hey I published one of the first rss aggregator apps for the iPad. Offline even. Suck it flipboard

      • jnuneznj - 9 years ago

        “Offline”!!!! That is the big one for me. I currently use Pocket to read my news offline. Usually on my commute home.

  3. PMZanetti - 9 years ago

    I certainly hope not because Flipboard is terrible. Its automatic layouts and logic are abysmal.

  4. WaveMedia (@WaveMedia) - 9 years ago

    They did it 5 years ago. They’ve not really improved upon it much. It used to be an app I’d recommend anybody new to tablets or smartphones should get but not so much any more. I rarely use it any more.

    • mdelvecchio99 - 9 years ago

      Agreed. Flipboard may have created one five years ago, but I stopped using it four years ago. Will this one fair better? We’ll see.

  5. I downloaded Flipboard… and never used it. Apple didn’t invent digital music players, or electronic payments, but they cornered the market on them AFTER others tried and failed.

  6. Jim Scimonetti - 9 years ago

    I am a proud Apple fanboy, but I totally agree with Flipboard on this. Apple and (everyone else for that matter) has a VERY LONG WAY to go to match Flipboard’s UI especially on iOS.

    No thanks Apple. I’m staying with Flipboard. Your idea is very a stripped down knock off. I was shocked to see the Demo and how proud you guys acted about it. And it also seemed like it was a come-on to by news subsections like your worthless news rack app I have in my growing Apple crap-ware folder.

    • Stuart Stegall - 9 years ago

      Honestly, I don’t think I could disagree further. Their article layout is simply piss poor AND they’ve had 5 years to fix that.

    • mdelvecchio99 - 9 years ago

      You clai
      M to be a fanboy, but won’t even try the product before decrying how badly it sucks. Uh huh.

  7. crichton007 - 9 years ago

    In other words: “Oh crap”.

  8. Winski - 9 years ago

    AND, now Flipboard is a pile of JUNK !!

  9. Cristian Moisei - 9 years ago

    The fundamental difference nobody seems to notice is that apple is bringing their own format – it’s a platform publishers can release rich, awesomely formatted articles to. It does this on top of displaying existing articles, which Fliboard and a bunch of other apps already do.

  10. Venkat Aditya - 9 years ago

    Flipboard is better on a iPhone and News app is better on iPad case closed!!!

  11. sarasvvati - 9 years ago

    let’s see how will it be. let’s just later on after trying the news.

  12. Srboteka (@srboteka) - 9 years ago

    Well guys I think there is much more important element in this. Flipboard is no nice looking layout. I mean it is, but that’s not all to it. The main feature of Flipboard is ability of their algorithm to pick the best stories for you. And attract users that way – so user acquisition is the name of business. And of course sponsored content & advertising as monetization.

    So who looks better? Take it from ex Art Director who overlooked 35 designers – who cares. It’s the money game. You know how to acquire users – mean you know how to get sponsorship, VC money or do IPO. Question is can Apple upsmart Flipboard in that game? Because when you have money you can buy the best designers in the world. Or just buy other company that do design better than you.

    For now Flipboard picking up some interest in industry from big guys (Google, Facebook, etc) but the real story is about having the smartest algorithm and clever way to engage and capture readers. Some, like Disqus, came close but burned before making it big. Apple have one advantage in their corner – very loyal audience. Loyal audience = engagement through social = new customer acquisition = running away from the whole Silicon Valley wanting to acquire you.

    And yes – Flipboard was bit lazy. It would be great to see some updated layout from Flipboard. And new related products. Like aggregation of video, games or just personal events (Hi Facebook!). Actually I think early version was better than today’s one. But we need a next step in glorificated news aggregation – c’mon give us a beauty! (of course – beauty that will make tons of money in the background).

Author

Avatar for Chance Miller Chance Miller

Chance is an editor for the entire 9to5 network and covers the latest Apple news for 9to5Mac.

Tips, questions, typos to chance@9to5mac.com