GMA News Online on iOS among top news apps in PH

Barely two months after its launch, GMA News Online's iPhone application has soared up the Apple App Store charts and has clinched the third spot in the news category among all news agencies in the Philippines. The free news application, launched in mid-April, allows users to get news content at their convenience. When connected to the Internet, it provides automatic updates of the latest news stories and photo content, which the users can continue reading while offline as everything is downloaded on the device. GMA News Online's iPhone app is just behind the Philippine Daily Inquirer and ABS-CBN News in the Philippine app store rankings. Along with the iPhone app, GMA News Online is also faring well on the Android platform, as both apps have garnered an average of five star ratings from users. GMA News Online is the first Philippine-based news site to have launched its own Android application in March. Google's Android is now the top-selling smartphone operating system in the United States with 67.2 million units shipped in 2010, surpassing iPhone's 46 million units, as independently confirmed by research firm Gartner. In the Philippines, Android phones and tablets are quickly gathering steam, with entry-level phones selling for as low as P4,000 per unit. Both the apps offer functionalities users would find useful, such as the ability to share news feeds via Facebook. Upgraded versions with video and audio streaming, commenting platform, and user-customization are in the pipeline, according to NMI VP for Development and Operations Michaela Agcaoili. “We have a high regard for the comments of our users and utilize these to further enhance our products. At the same time, we continuously assess trends and user requirements so we can provide them with their needs like no other online news site can," Agcaoili said. Developed by GMA Network’s New Media Inc., both apps are available as a free download in the Android Marketplace and the iTunes App Store. — JMT, GMA News