Apple announced in a press release today that it has officially signed an agreement to acquire digital magazine service Texture. Texture (formerly known as Next Issue) offers users an option to pay a flat monthly fee for an unlimited digital subscription to all of their favorite magazines, that they can then access from the Texture app.
Texture was founded in 2010, and features upwards of 200 publications that you can peruse for $9.99 per month. It's basically like Netflix or Hulu, but for magazines, meaning that you not only get to read the ones you already know you like, but you may actually broaden your horizons a bit by virtually flipping through some you may have never checked out otherwise. Texture offers mags covering everything from entertainment to tech to interior design, featuring popular titles like Bon Appétit, National Geographic, Rolling Stone, Wired, and People.
Apple Senior VP of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue noted Apple's dedication to maintaining journalistic integrity amidst the acquisition in a statement:
We're excited Texture will join Apple, along with an impressive catalog of magazines from many of the world's leading publishers. We are committed to quality journalism from trusted sources and allowing magazines to keep producing beautifully designed and engaging stories for users.
Texture seems pretty stoked about the change as well — according to Next Issue Media's CEO John Loughlin, anyway:
I'm thrilled that Next Issue Media, and its award-winning Texture app, are being acquired by Apple. The Texture team and its current owners, Condé Nast, Hearst, Meredith, Rogers Media and KKR, could not be more pleased or excited with this development. We could not imagine a better home or future for the service.
As of right now, Apple is offering no word on the financial terms of the acquisition. And if you already use Texture and love it as is, don't worry — there won't be any changes for now, and you can keep using the app as you always have. Though with Apple being the buyer, you have to question how long the Android app will be sticking around.
Regardless of its eventual fate, it will be a while before this deal closes and anything official happens. If you'd like to try Texture for the first time, you can get a free trial and discounted pricing for the first three months from Amazon.
See at Amazon
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