Flipboard CEO knocks Apple News for closed ecosystem, says product is 'living in the past'

Flipboard CEO Mike McCue had a few choice words for segment competitor Apple News, describing Apple's news service as "living in the past" because it does not curate media, offers no social sharing integrations and lacks other features that would set it apart in the crowded space.

Speaking at the Code Media event on Tuesday, McCue addressed the immense pressure of competing against tech giant Apple.

"When you're an entrepreneur and you're competing with Apple, that's a pretty big deal" McCue said, adding Apple is "a partner and a competitor at the same time."

Flipboard launched eight years ago as an iOS app designed to aggregate and present internet content in a format readable on mobile devices. In the intervening years, the product has added curation, sharing and other features to stay ahead of the competition.

Apple News launched alongside iOS 9 in 2015 as a standalone Apple service that comes built-in on all iOS devices. The product features its own formatting and advertising system, both of which have been criticized for cloistering publishers and potentially stunting adoption. This walled garden approach might be a hassle for some, but it does allow for an extremely polished presentation that reaches tens of millions of installed users.

McCue took the opportunity to point out what he views as Apple News' flaws, while touting those same features in his own app.

"Apple News as a product is living in the past," McCue said. He added that the service lacks social sharing capabilities, said there's "no curation happening — it's algorithmic," and pilloried the product as "another format that publishers have to adopt."

"We're not trying to create a closed ecosystem...and that's a big deal for publishers," McCue said.

According to the latest statistics, Apple News has gained at least 70 million monthly users in about two and a half years. Flipboard still leads, however, with 100 million readers per month.

60 Comments

anantksundaram 20390 comments · 18 Years

About 6 years ago

I don’t know much about FlipBoard or its CEO, but I can confidently say that I do not look at Apple News, at all. I go directly to the handful of sources — WSJ, NYT, The Guardian, AI, The Economist — I turn to every day and I have need for little else.

I think Apple may have been way late to the news game anyway. And, given that they really have no way or desire to monetize it — either through ads or a subscription — it’s just not clear to me what purpose it really serves in the Apple ecosystem. Seems like a bit of wasted effort.

ihatescreennames 1971 comments · 19 Years

About 6 years ago

anantksundaram said:

I don’t know much about FlipBoard or its CEO, but I can confidently say that I do not look at Apple News, at all. I go directly to the handful of sources — WSJ, NYT, The Guardian, AI, The Economist — I turn to every day and I have need for little else.

I think Apple may have been way late to the news game anyway. And, given that they really have no way or desire to monetize it — either through ads or a subscription — it’s just not clear to me what purpose it really serves in the Apple ecosystem. Seems like a bit of wasted effort.

It seems odd to me that you start off by saying you don’t look at Apple News, at all, but finish with that it seems like a wasted effort. How can you make that assessment when you clearly state you don’t use Apple News?

I get updates from Apple News every day and they typically include all the sources you mentioned above, but in one convenient app. I don’t have to go to different apps or websites to see the same thing. I, for one, am glad they provide the Apple News app. I find it very useful.

My wife used to use Flipboard all the time. She still goes to it occasionally but she’s shifting to Apple News more and more. I wonder if this is a general trend and Flipboard is starting to feel it.

Soli 9981 comments · 9 Years

About 6 years ago

ihatescreennames said:

anantksundaram said:

I don’t know much about FlipBoard or its CEO, but I can confidently say that I do not look at Apple News, at all. I go directly to the handful of sources — WSJ, NYT, The Guardian, AI, The Economist — I turn to every day and I have need for little else.

I think Apple may have been way late to the news game anyway. And, given that they really have no way or desire to monetize it — either through ads or a subscription — it’s just not clear to me what purpose it really serves in the Apple ecosystem. Seems like a bit of wasted effort.

I get updates from Apple News every day and they typically include all the sources you mentioned above, but in one convenient app. I don’t have to go to different apps or websites to see the same thing. I, for one, am glad they provide the Apple News app. I find it very useful.

Same here. They seem to do a great job of pulling a variety of news from all sorts of sources. Everything Anant mentions plus others, most of which I likely wouldn't actively seek out on my own.

Sometimes I'll notice something on FB's Trending sidebar or someone will post/share a link into into their feed, but Apple News seems to be the most well rounded of all the different news aggregates.

I used Flipboard of a hot minute when it was first launched for the iPad years ago, but I didn't stick with it. The concept seemed great and the animations were nifty for its time but I can't recall getting better, more relevant, or well rounded news when I used it, but we're probably talking nearly a decade ago (I'm guessing) so who I can't judge what Flipboard is today in relation to Apple News.

anantksundaram 20390 comments · 18 Years

About 6 years ago

ihatescreennames said:

anantksundaram said:

I don’t know much about FlipBoard or its CEO, but I can confidently say that I do not look at Apple News, at all. I go directly to the handful of sources — WSJ, NYT, The Guardian, AI, The Economist — I turn to every day and I have need for little else.

I think Apple may have been way late to the news game anyway. And, given that they really have no way or desire to monetize it — either through ads or a subscription — it’s just not clear to me what purpose it really serves in the Apple ecosystem. Seems like a bit of wasted effort.

It seems odd to me that you start off by saying you don’t look at Apple News, at all, but finish with that it seems like a wasted effort. How can you make that assessment when you clearly state you don’t use Apple News?

I get updates from Apple News every day and they typically include all the sources you mentioned above, but in one convenient app. I don’t have to go to different apps or websites to see the same thing. I, for one, am glad they provide the Apple News app. I find it very useful.

My wife used to use Flipboard all the time. She still goes to it occasionally but she’s shifting to Apple News more and more. I wonder if this is a general trend and Flipboard is starting to feel it.

Oh it’s not that complicated. I should have mentioned that I tried it out for a week or so when it first came out.

I am glad you and your wife like it and use it. It’s not obvious to me that I get the breadth and depth of both news and opinion from AN as I do going to each of the five sources that mentioned, daily.