Finally, the big day has arrived. Apple has approved the GigaOM iPhone app — it’s now available via the iTunes store for download. It goes without saying that we’re pretty stoked to be launching this app, which essentially offers a unified experience of all our various properties — from our blogs to our paid subscription service to our events to our real-time Twitter feed. One brand, one app…download it now from the iTunes store. It works both on the iPhone and the iPod touch.
Many of our readers are already using the iPhone and Android browsers to read what we write, and those numbers keep going up. So it made perfect sense for us to build an app for the iPhone. Importantly, we decided against building an offering that merely mimics the experience of our websites.
Mobile and the web are two distinct experiences — from the screens to the way we interact with content, the engagement is entirely different. We started with a blank sheet and an idea with which to engage our readers. But that wasn’t all. In order to set guidelines for our app, I turned to the fantastically brilliant mobile guru Tomi T. Ahonen (author of the Communities Dominate Brands blog) and looked at the eight unique characteristics of mobile he lists. They are:
- Mobile is personal
- Mobile is permanently carried
- Mobile is always on
- Mobile has a built-in payment channel
- Mobile is available at the point of creative impulse
- Mobile is most accurate at measuring its audience
- Only mobile can capture the social context of consumption
- Only mobile can offer augmented reality
OK so we’re missing the augmented reality features, but you get the point. Based on those abilities, here are the features in our app:
* Real-time stream of posts 24/7 from across the GigaOM network of seven leading websites, with full user-commenting capabilities
* Access to the GigaOM Pro research service, including its more than 100 research reports, PDF downloads and the ability to sign up for the service within the app itself
* Ability to share posts and stories via Twitter, Facebook and email
* Video posts and live-stream video from GigaOM conferences and events
* Detailed conference and event information including speaker line-ups, schedules and the ability to purchase event tickets
* Twitter feeds from across the team of GigaOM writers within the GigaOM Pulse feature
* Saved articles folder for future viewing of selected items
* Direct communication channel with our team of writers
So download it and give it whirl — I hope you’ll give us loads of feedback so we can make it even better!
Finally, this app never would have been possible without the tireless efforts of three of our team members: our tech Jedi, Chancey Mathews; our director of product, Dan Burke; and our SVP of product & marketing, Dan Silmore. We worked with our friends at Atimi to develop this app and are very grateful for their efforts. Please, if you can, put your hands together and applaud the team that turned my wild idea into an app.
Now I can finally say: Want GigaOM on the iPhone? Yup, there’s an app for that.
Very nice. Congrats on getting that out!
(And may I be the first to say, uh, it doesn’t seem to be accepting my gigaompro credentials. No worries, I’m sure that’ll get sorted out.)
Thank you for the kind note Brian. We’re really excited! (Login is now fixed – give it a go)
Hey Om, any plans for Android and webOS for the future releases?
Same question. Expect growth of Android phones to keep outpacing Apple. I’m using the browser for most reading, but some of the site specific Android Apps are really nice to use, like Engadgets.
Its only outpacing it right now because Android is on all the carriers. Once the iPhone is on Verizon you will see that come to a screeching halt. It will be entertaining to see.
so android app is next. Need to find a good dev partner. No plans on an iPad app for now. We will be going for an HTML5 website as well.
Please reconsider and roll out an iPad version soonest.
Strictly selfish reasons, Om. I don’t own an iPhone or iPod – and not especially likely to wander into the Android world in the near term.
But, I’m crazy about my iPad.
Nice app. Great job of making it distict from your site.
Thanks Travis your words encourage us 🙂
I’ve been waiting and I already enjoy it. Thanks! And now I ask for the HD iPad version…. 🙂
Awesome app!! Already using it to put this comment 🙂
Thanks this will make gigaom much more accessible
That was our point to make things easier for you guys to read and engage, so thanks for your kind words.
Congratulations Om to you and your team at Gigaom.
I am an avid reader of Gigaom and I am glad to hear this great news, now I can read Gigaom on the fly. I often wondered why Gigaom did not have an app.
Congrats once again
While I enjoy the convenience of the Engadget app, it really is just a condensed version of their site. Good at conveying the content but not necessarily distinct from their site experience. Maybe it’s just a personal preference but the way the Gigaom app displays the content has a certain polish that lends it self to a unique mobile experience. That said, ultimately it is the content that keeps us coming back.
Hopefully Om can find an Android dev that can provide a similar experience.
Which brings up an interesting point – cross platform dev. Om, as a content provider, how do you feel about writing multiple native apps (and paying for dev costs) vs writing once in a cross platform enviroment, assuming one currently existed? Sorry to open this can-o-worms during your release party…
Yawn.
Sorry, but I fail to see the value.
I am sorry you feel that way. Well we will keep trying.
Sam,
The value for me is this- I access GigaOM when travelling to work. Normally I fire it up through mobile safari or read topics from Om’s twitter. The areas I travel do not offer me a best of net coverage all the time. One thing which i observed in 2 days of GigaOm app usage is that content gets loaded much faster (maybe you cache it at load?). Its made my access to GigaOm much better, faster and I see it on my “deck” all the time.
Just downloaded it – great design, experience, and content of course :).
Great app.
Om, please, do the same for BlackBerry!
Thanks!
Joe
It is hard to get the Blackberry apps done. There are so few developers and costs are just prohibitive. Sometimes one has to make tough choices.
Very nice app. Good thought process and execution. As usual, GigaOm never stops giving.
Thanks. We keep trying to make you guys happy.
Congrats on launch of iPhone app. Waiting for the Android app – don’t disappoint Android users by making us wait longer. In future, it is ideal to launch/push updates for Android/Iphone together.
Om,
What about WebOS ?. We would love to see a WebOS app.
Looking forward to see the Android app!
Looks good.
Some suggestions:
You guys spend time and money on it, why not promote it? Detect in the future new readers coming to gigaom web and not using the [iphone] app., insert a link to app for these users. I mean in a few days, how does one know it exists without searching for it. People who download are most likely recurring readers.
The comments UI seems to be flaky. Shows comments [20] on loading then goes to 0. Just tried it again and it worked and next it didn’t. Oh well, working on it. Are you?
Dang it requires a minimum 3.1.2 Iphone Software update! I have been holding off as the phone works fine without it.
Hi Om,
Any reason why this App requires a iPhone OS 3.1.2? I am running 3.0 and am unable to use this as of now.
Thanks,
Praveen.
Really, another bleepin’ app from a web site? Sorry, you will remain a bookmark in the browser. An app needs to DO SOMETHING beyond providing words and pictures.