Apple is set to unveil the second generation iPad on March 2, a little less than a year after the launch of the original iPad. This seems like a great time to see how many of the biggest newspapers in the U.S. have gone all-in on the iPad by offering a native iPad app.
The answer? Less than half.
A survey of the 30 largest-circulation newspapers (the ones with more than 200,000 circulation) showed that 13 of the 30 have a native iPad app. Of them:
- 8 give readers free access to newspaper content
- 11 can be downloaded for free (the New York Post and New York Daily News charge $1.99 to download their apps)
- 2 are e-editions of the paper (exact replicas of the print edition) and require a paid subscription to view
Here’s a look at what the 13 have to offer:
Wall Street Journal
Print circulation (rank): 2,061,142 (1)
Cost: Free to download, some content available for free with registration, $17.29/month for full access to mobile, iPad and desktop sites.
Customer rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
USA Today
Print circulation (rank): 1,830,594 (2)
Cost: Free
Customer rating: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
New York Times
Print circulation (rank): 876,638 (3)
Cost: Free
Customer rating: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
Washington Post
Print circulation (rank): 545,345 (5)
Cost: Free to download, free access to stories once you register (for a limited time, they say)
Customer rating: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
New York Daily News
Print circulation (rank): 512,520 (6)
Cost: $1.99 to download and for 30 days full access, then $7.99 for six months or $11.99 for one year.
Customer rating: 2 stars (out of 5)
New York Post
Print circulation (rank): 501,501 (7)
Cost: $1.99 to download and for 30 days full access, then $6.99/month or $39.99 for six months or $74.99 for one year.
Customer rating: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
Newsday
Print circulation (rank): 314,848 (13)
Cost: Free
Customer rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Denver Post
Print circulation (rank): 309,863 (14)
Cost: Free
Customer rating: 2 stars (out of 5)
Arizona Republic
Print circulation (rank): 308,973 (15)
Cost: Free
Customer rating: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
Minneapolis Star Tribune
Print circulation (rank): 297,478 (16)
Cost: Free to download. $2/week to view a replica of the print edition on the iPad.
Customer rating: 2 stars (out of 5)
Dallas Morning News
Print circulation (rank): 264,459 (17)
Cost: Free to download.
Customer rating: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
St. Petersburg Times
Print circulation (rank): 239,684 (22)
Cost: Free to download.
Customer rating: 1 star (out of 5)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Print circulation (rank): 207,145 (28)
Cost: Free
Customer rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
