Financial Times has announced that it will launch a HTML5-based app for the new Samsung Galaxy Tab which will be available to download from the Android device’s launch on 1 November.Users will also be able to access FT video content.
Key features of the app include the ability to:
•download the daily FT automatically to your Galaxy Tab for offline reading on your morning and evening commute – no need for the user to do anything
•Access content across all major sections of FT.com
•View the FT’s award-winning high quality video content, including the latest updates on markets and interviews with high profile CEOs each morning
•Analyse key metrics in a dedicated Markets Data section, including macromaps highlighting markets across the world, with the option to also view regional indices and company information sheets
The FT app will give Galaxy Tab punters access to all FT content and will be optimised for the tablet. What isn’t mentioned is if the FT has decided to give Galaxy Tab users free access to its content or if it expects users to pay for subscriptions. We imagine the latter is the case.
WHSmith has developed an Ebook app. Again, it is optimised for the tablet with configurable viewing options integrated into the app.
Gameloft has developed two launch titles exclusively for the Galaxy Tab and is working on more.
If Google wants Android to be taken seriously as a mobile OS that can handle games, this and Sony’s PSP phone are good avenues.
What about mobile web apps as opposed to just native apps?
As a recent Smashing Magazine article explains, I think the mobile is going more towards (or will be going)
mobile web apps as opposed to native apps because (at least for deployment) it is easier to maintain and update than several versions of the same site.
This one is good: hotelpepper.com