Apple News vs. Flipboard – Which News Aggregator Is Best?
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When it comes to news aggregators, Apple News and Flipboard are both excellent options — but which one is better? Well, Flipboard came first; it was launched in 2010 as a social magazine. Its primary focus was to allow users to create a custom “magazine” that aggregated content from the topics and publications that the user chose. And then, Apple News — which was first introduced in iOS 9 — was built as a similar concept, and replaced the aging and underused Newsstand app that was previously built-into iOS.
Both offer excellent news aggregation, but they also differ in some slight ways.
No doubt about it, Flipboard is a great news aggregator, and it’s been around for a while. In fact, Flipboard was really the first of its kind when it launched six years ago. The app allows you to create custom-made “magazines” that feature curated content, hand picked from a list of topics and publications that you follow.
If you don’t have time to dive in, you can add a story to a Read Later section, as well. And finding a new publication to follow is easy enough. Just click here to visit iDrop News’ Flipboard page, for example, and hit the Follow button — then “Flip” an article, and your magazine will then feature that content for your followers to see.
When compared to Apple News, Flipboard has more of a social media focus, as it allows you to link to your Facebook and Twitter accounts — letting you see the articles that your friends are sharing without leaving the app. Apple News doesn’t currently have this feature, and it allows Flipboard an extra level of curation beyond just the user
But when it comes to layout and design, Flipboard sort of lags behind Apple News. In comparison to Apple News’ rich text and magazine-inspired layout, Flipboard’s design seems to be a bit outdated.
Flipboard is available as a free download on Android, iOS and Windows Phone OS. You can also view your magazines from a browser using Flipboard.com on any device, something that Apple News doesn’t currently offer.
Apple News
When Apple News first launched, it definitely wasn’t reinventing the wheel. The native Apple app borrowed a lot of details and ideas from news aggregators that already existed, including Flipboard. But Apple, in typical Apple fashion, has made News a viable contender among the best news aggregation platforms. For starters, Apple News is easy to use — navigating the app is a cinch, and the intuitive design allows for the easy saving of articles. And the platform actually uses journalists who act as “editors” and curators for News, allowing a second level of curation beyond just the user.
But perhaps the most standout feature of Apple News is its aesthetics. Apple has long been a pioneer of design, and it shows. News is simply a beautiful way of reading articles, with rich text and graphics inspired by glossy, printed magazines. In addition, Apple has partnered with a large list of publications. This partnership allows for publishers to create beautiful layouts that are tailored specifically for News. Custom typography, photo galleries, videos, and even interactive elements all make for a gorgeous reading experience.
On the con side, Apple News currently doesn’t allow for social integration like Flipboard does. And there’s currently no browser-based option for reading through your curated content. But perhaps the biggest downfall of Apple News is the fact that it’s an Apple-exclusive app. If you’re on an Android or other non-iOS device, you’re pretty much out of luck.
To follow iDrop News on the News app, just follow this link and tap the plus (+) button in the upper right corner.
Conclusion
Honestly, both news aggregators are fantastic. Apple News is preinstalled on any device running iOS 9 or newer, so there’s nothing extra to download and it runs beautifully. However, Flipboard packs more social features and works cross-platform including on personal computers and Android devices. Apple users would be well-off to stick to Apple News, while people who own devices running Windows, Android and iOS, or any combination of the three, would benefit greatly from installing and using Flipboard. Flipboard is also a great option for all desktop users. We’re patiently awaiting Apple to release their version of the news app for the web or at least macOS.
Which of the two is your news aggregator of choice? Or do you use something completely different?Let us know in the comments below!
