Apple News app arrives in UK with iOS 9.1 update

Apple's all-new News App is now available in the UK. The built-in app, which made its debut via iOS 9, was initially limited to the US. But Apple's latest update to iOS 9- 9.1 incorporates the news service.

The News app that replaces the older Newsstand comes with 14 newspaper and magazine publishing partners in the country. Among them are the BBC, the Telegraph, the Guardian, the Sun, Sky News, the Times, the Financial Times, the Economist and the Trinity Mirror. Magazine partners include Vanity Fair, Immediate Media, Hearst and Marie Claire publisher Time Inc.

The News collects all stories users want to read in one place, in a customised newsfeed called "For You". Readers can see the publisher channels and topics they are following in Favourites. You can also discover new content using the Explore feature that makes suggestions based on what a user has already read. Apple claims the News app becomes more personalised as you read more.

"Apple News collects all stories you want to read, from the top news sources, based on topics you're most interested in -- so you no longer need to move from app to app to stay informed," an Apple spokesperson has been quoted as saying by the Guardian. The News app for the iPhone and the iPad is powered by the new custom-designed Apple News Format which allows publishers to create their layouts. The content includes photos, galleries, audio, video, maps, rich interactions such as parallax and animations.

The Trinity Mirror says the service includes 27 of its national and international titles covering the Mirror, Daily Record, Manchester Evening News and the Liverpool Echo.

"The ways consumers access content and news is changing hugely with digital advancements, highlighting the need for traditional media owners to ensure they adapt with consumers," said Chris Russell, product director at Trinity Mirror. "We hope that being part of Apple News will help us reach new audiences, as well as offering our readers more choice in how they consume content."