The Economist has come out with an Android App which will bring all the content of the print version to the Android device owners the same day when the magazine publishes. Users would especially like the offline caching facility which will allow them to read the articles even when they are not connected to the Internet.
Users would also be able to access the audio version of stories also for easy listening. The Economist app for Android itself would be free but is likely to use in app purchases for different issues. The Editor’s highlights, however, would be free. Those who already have some kind of a subscription for the magazine will be able to access it for free.
The in app purchase system is especially handy for people who only want occasional access into the contents of The Economist. If at any point the users decide they want full subscription, they can buy it within the app itself.
The iPhone and iPad apps of The Economist have already reached two million downloads, despite their launch only in November 2010. If the iPhone and iPad app example is anything to go by, about 50 per cent users pay to view the latest content, whereas rest prefer to be content with the Editor’s Highlights articles.