The Apple iPad has gotten a lot of attention from magazine publishers over the past few months, but it’s not the only tablet in town. Next Issue Media has announced that it’s bringing magazines from five major publishers to Android tablets starting with the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 inch tablet.
Right now the company’s digital newsstand is available as a preview for Galaxy Tab customers on Verizon’s network – even though you’ll need to download content over a WiFi connection. The service will eventually roll out to WiFi-only Galaxy Tab models.
Titles include Time, Esqure, Fortune, and Popular Mechanics. Customers can buy single issues or sign up for monthly subscriptions. Prices vary from magazine to magazine. For instance a single issue of The New Yorker runs $4.99, but a monthly subscription is just $5.99 for one issue per week. Time is $4.99 per issue or just $2.99 per month for a new issue each week. Next Issue also offers 30 day free trial subscriptions.
Publishers may also opt to offer free digital editions to print subscribers.
This fall the service is expected to expand to additional Android devices and the company hopes to offer as many as 40 magazine titles by year’s end. A version of the service for HP webOS is also in the works.
