Wired iPad App Stable at 32,000 Copies Sold Per Issue

I’m no big fan of the official Wired app for iPad, mainly because I can’t stand all these similar magazine applications based on the same engine that doesn’t let you select and copy text and basically doesn’t let you get information out of the app. Sharing options are limited, scrolling feels weird sometimes – or at least not native – and, overall, they all feel the same. I recognize that the Wired iPad app, though, is one of the most successful magazine apps in the App Store.

As The Next Web reports, the app is now selling 32,000 copies per issues on average:

Wired’s iPad sales figures have remained almost secret since launch, only coming to light at certain times of the year. Last month we reported that the Wired app sold 31,000 and 28,000 copies in July and August respectively, a significant dip since launch. Wired isn’t worried though, sales have progressively increased as iPad penetration grows, meaning that the Wired iPad app has levelled off to a figure of about 32,000 per issue, around 39% of print sales.

Wired has also discovered that developing an app with rich and interactive content requires extra resources, and they’re looking for a way to cut down those resources to an extra 10% instead of the current additional 20% required for the design and engineering teams. That’s the price to pay for embedding video, interactive advertisement and lots of images, I guess. Not to mention the orientation “problem” of magazine apps on the iPad.

Wired editor Chris Anderson is looking for a way to make the app more social, too. Inspired by the popularity and user-friendly approach of Flipboard, the Wired team might implement a new more magazine-like UI soon, together with deep Twitter and Facebook integration.

The Wired iPad app is doing well, and although it’s not generating the same numbers of the print edition it’s worth considering that the iPad has been around since April, and no one has really figured out how to make great digital magazine apps yet.