Wednesday, December 22, 2010

iHave good news for iPhone users

Here’s some special holiday cheer for iPhone users. The iPhone application for charlotteobserver.com is in.

You can download it now at no charge at the online iTunes applications store. Let me know how well it works for you.

For people with Blackberrys, Androids, Evos and other smartphones, we continue to provide an excellent mobile phone Web site. Simply direct your phone to www.charlotteobserver.com and it will automatically lock in to the site.

I’m an Android user, and I find our mobile web site very useful. In the near future, we expect to roll out specialized apps for the Android and other popular phones.

If you’ve stayed with me this far and aren’t sure what I’m talking about, thank you. And now I’ll try to explain.

Basically, a smartphone is any phone designed to give you access to the Web. (About one out of every four cell phones in the United States is now a smartphone. By this time next year, it’s expected to be one out of every two.)

Each brand of smartphone has its own set of specialized features. To take advantage of those features when accessing a Web site (like www.charlotteobserver.com), you must download an application designed for both the site and that phone.

We now have that special application for iPhone users who come to charlotteobserver.com. We hope you enjoy it.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

aww you listed the EVO as if it's a separate type of phone...it's just one of the best Androids out!

Anonymous said...

Great! Downloading now. I had the website bookmarked but an App is much better. Now I have WCNC and the Observer as apps plus the Charlotte Business Journal app on my IPhone.

Anonymous said...

Should of completed the Android version first, before the iOS!

Timothy Whitson said...

Bravo. Just downloaded it, and I believe it's by far the best designed app for Charlotte area news.

Anonymous said...

So exactly why would this be good news? It is the CO, right?

TV Dave said...

Great app. Thanks. Any chance for an iPad app?

Anonymous said...

Most people I know have Androids. Why (and exactly when) the "near future".

Your alienating key readers here (and no, I don't think the mobile site is as good as an app)

Rick Thames said...

Well said on EVO. Yes, it's part of the Android family. And yes, our parent company, McClatchy, is now working on an app for the iPad. No estimated completion date on that project yet.

Jeff Jones said...

Very nice! It works quite well EVEN on my overloaded iPhone 3. Very readable print/font. I love the Charlotte skyline pic at startup. Beautiful!
Thanks for all of your effort on this app.

Unknown said...

Just got it - now I can keep on how awesomely the Panthers are losing.

Anonymous said...

Great... but wish you would have spent the money on improving the web site content first!

Anonymous said...

When will the e-edition be on the ipad?

WhereIsWendell said...

How is this useful? How am I supposed to wrap a fish with my iPhone?

Anonymous said...

Love the people that whine about something free. As for Android users complaining because app wasn't released to them first get over it! IPhone is the standard and Apple is much for stringent on apps than Google so practically all apps are released for IPhone then Android to ensure they pass Apple's requirements. Also, IPhone is still the most widely used smartphone even though Android is catching them. As for person that said "everyone they know has Android" you must not know many people since everytime I turn around someone has an IPhone. I have an IPhone but am Google shareholder and glad to see Android doing well so am very bullish on its future but you need to understand order of apps release for major companies. If not done all at once it is almost always, IPhone then Android then Blackberry. Sorry get used to it.

Alan said...

Love the app. Works great on my 3GS. Also on my iPad.

Anonymous said...

Nice. The only problem is that AT&T is so bad here that even in the "center" of Charlotte I am lucky if I have 3 bars on my phone. 3G? Good luck. By appointment only. And if at all, try the mornings before 8 am. Not kidding. My office is a stone throw away from the AT&T building but that means nothing. And if you travel to SE Charlotte, the whole AT&T coverage becomes a joke. So thanks for the nice app. I might try it when I am in NYC. Apparently AT&T works up there...

And one other thing for you, AT&T: be assured that the second the iPhone will be available through Verizon, I will be with them. AT&T, you have been painful as long as I have been with you. You are worse than a bad cold, worse than a nagging wife/girlfriend. You are a disgrace. The few existing wireless networks in Africa are better than you, AT&T. I wish you would not use the "A" in your name. You are a joke. A bad one though...

Anonymous said...

great--took less than 3 minutes to download--glad I saw the article on the web