Apple scoops up digital magazine app Texture
Apple said on Monday it will acquire Texture, makers of a digital magazines app that's compared to Netflix for its monthly subscription business model.
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For Apple, Texture is a way to bolster its in-house content and service platform while also filling the gap left by Facebook's decision to back away from news distribution. Texture will integrate with Apple News and presumably improve upon the app's curation capabilities.
"We're excited Texture will join Apple, along with an impressive catalogue of magazines from many of the world's leading publishers," said Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice-president of internet software and services. "We are committed to quality journalism from trusted sources and allowing magazines to keep producing beautifully designed and engaging stories for users."
Read also: EU to investigate Apple's Shazam purchase for antitrust issues
The Texture acquisition follows Apple's $400 million deal to buy the music recognition app Shazam. While that purchase came with a heft price tag, Apple is known for its typically smaller acquisitions that fold specialized teams into existing products at the company.
In 2014, Apple acquired the company behind TestFlight, a service that provides app beta deployment and analytics. It's feature set was incorporated into Apple services that are still used by developers today. Other small-time acquisitions Apple made recently include its purchases of Pop Up Archive in December and of Buddybuild in January.
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