Huge improvements in version 5
Unfortunately, almost every article or even, section overviews now contain up to three advertisements. How am I expected to enjoy reading?
Finally - and hopefully lasting - no more ugly banner ads at the bottom of the screen. Many other welcome visual changes make using the NYT iPhone app a pleasure again. The result: Ive re-subscribed.
A few minor bugs remain I have been introduced tough. Feedback from support was prompt and theres hope that these little things are being addressed soon.
Great job, NYT!
Could be a nice app, elegant new design, and of course excellent journalism but:
- crash queen
- annoying "randomly generated" banner ads
- saved articles list utterly incomplete (shows only 5% of saved articles)
- hopeless support ("thank you for your feedback" - well thank you indeed!)
Further thoughts:
The iPhone screens lovely, nicely pocketable but necessarily cramped. Likewise, the new iOS 7 NYT app is lovely designed, a joy to read articles (for the first time since the original release in 2008).
So why would the NYT want to ruin this experience by throwing ugly banner ads in the face of paying subscribers? These ads take up real estate and seem to come and go without any obvious pattern causing a level of anxiety every time one opens the app (will I be bombarded by those banners today, none at all, only on the home page, on all section lists or worst of all, in the saved articles category and god forbid, when trying to read saved articles).
This seems to be a game the NYT wants to play with its loyal (international) readers.
The question is: shall the reader draw a line and unsubscribe to demonstrate unhappiness?
Also, needless to say, any email to the NYT customer service gets returned with an arrogant "thanks for your feedback" message. Has the NYT heard of what it could mean to provide meaningful responses to legitimate subscribers requests?
Disclaimer: This is not a review of the journalistic quality of the NYT, this is only for the app.
I love the fresh and elegant iOS 7 style of the app but I was deeply disappointed that those obtrusive, real estate screen eating ads at the button of lists and articles had raised their ugly heads again. Like I said in previous reviews, I don’t care about even full screen sized ads as long as there is a way to opt out (by dismissing for instance the full screen apps). The return of those ugly ads is especially disappointing as I keep expecting premium service as a NYT subscriber. It’s me who paid for the iPhone screen and thus, I expect to be able to use every pixel to my advantage and not those of advertising companies!
maulwurm about
The New York Times, v5.9.1