Mini Meme: News apps
Have we got news for you...
Newspapers, TV bulletins… who cares? Arguably the best place to find out what’s going on in this fast-paced world is sitting in your pocket.
And yes, we mean your smartphone, not that old Kit-Kat wrapper. We’ve looked at some of the best news-related apps for iOS, Android and even Windows Phone (!), almost all of them available free of charge, so without further ado feast your eyes on the current affairs bounty we have prepared for you.
Longform ((iOS)
The idea here is to buck the trend of bite-sized online articles and get people reading news stories with depth. The app sometimes comes across like a worthy Twitter, but there’s something great about it only listing articles of 2,000 words or more; it’s ideal for people who don’t have a short attention… SQUIRREL! Sorry, attention span.
Price: £Free
Stuff says ★★★★✩
Feedly (iOS/Android)
When Google set fire to Google Reader, Feedly heroically took over, providing a robust, free way to subscribe to website RSS feeds. The world might look on in scorn from their Twitters and their Facebooks, but you’ll use this app and know you’re not missing important news due to an inundation of lolcat GIFs.
Price: £Free
Stuff says ★★★★✩
Instapaper (iOS/Android)
Uniquely for this round-up, Instapaper isn’t designed to bring the news to you — you send the news to Instapaper, via a browser shortcut. It’s essentially, then, a PVR for saved articles, also stripping out junk to leave pure text and images. Got nothing to send? The ‘Browse’ section has you covered.
Price: £Free
Stuff says ★★★★★
Digg (iOS/Android)
Once the darling of the internet, social news site Digg fell on hard times and had to do the web equivalent of busking for pennies. Its current incarnation on mobile, dating from a 2012 relaunch, is very smart indeed. The app is simple but sleek, and the feeds feel as though they’ve been edited for you by actual humans.
Price: £Free
Stuff says ★★★★✩
Flipboard (iOS/Android/Windows Phone)
Apple News is clearly heavily inspired by Flipboard, so go for the original, which is also on Android. Follow people and topics! Compile and share custom mags! Get irritated by the gimmick that pretends scrolling doesn’t exist! You can also browse Twitter timelines, which is weird but oddly good.
Price: £Free
Stuff says ★★★★✩
Download Flipboard for iOS here
Reeder (£3.99) (iOS)
For when Feedly isn’t enough, there’s Reeder – well, at least there is if you’ve got an iPhone. The app’s a stylish and smart way to browse and read RSS feeds, and the built-in ‘Readability’ view strips articles to copy and images alone. Apple might bang on about animations and bling, but we just want the words, man.
Price: £3.99
Stuff says ★★★★✩
Related › How to use Apple News
Craig Grannell
Contributor 
