Apple's upcoming magazine service will work even when you're offline, code suggests
- Developer Steve Troughton-Smith discovered code inside new beta software that explains how Apple's magazine subscription service will work.
- Apple is expected to bundle magazine and news subscriptions inside a new Apple News Magazines app that people can subscribe to.
- Apple is expected to announce the service along with a new streaming video service on March 25.
New details about how Apple's new subscription magazine service, expected to launch inside of a revamped Apple News application, surfaced on Tuesday. Apple is expected to announce the service during a March 25 press event.
Developer Steve Troughton-Smith dug through recent beta code for Apple's software and discovered a bit about how the Apple magazine service, which could be called Apple News Magazines, may work.
Troughton-Smith noticed that users who subscribe to the service -- which may largely be based on the digital magazine platform Texture that Apple acquired last year -- will likely be able to download and store magazines for offline reading. That means magazines will be available even if a Wi-Fi or cellular connection is not. Apple will alert users through a pop-up when new issues are available, too.
Troughton-Smith also said that the magazines will be "PDF-based" and found genres that include health, fitness, food, cooking, entertainment, gardening, home, lifestyle, politics, science and technology, among other topics.
The code doesn't reveal how much Apple will charge for the all-you-can-eat magazine and news subscription. Texture, which is still live, charges $9.99 a month for access to more than 200 magazines. Apple has reportedly been interested in bundling subscription news services, too, which might raise the price. The Wall Street Journal said in February that Apple has struggled with publishers who don't want to split 50 percent of revenues from the app.
In addition to the magazine and news services, Apple will reportedly unveil a new video service on March 25 that will include original content and is expected to launch in April.