NBR launches mobile app

NBR has launched a mobile app giving member subscribers easy access to the publication’s broad content range.

Publisher Todd Scott said the timing felt right as more people use smartphones while travelling to and from work, as evidenced by analysis of NBR’s user base.

“To get the best experience of NBR on mobile an app is better than using a browser. The timing is right to expand into the world of apps,” he said.

While desktop logins are still the preferred choice for most NBR readers, mobile is rising in popularity.

A year ago, desktop users generated about 81% of all traffic while mobile devices were 16%. Today, those numbers are 66% and 21% respectively.

The app works on any Android or Apple mobile device. The mobile-only subscription has been replaced with one subscription that works on every device.

The mobile app launch follows this month’s "reskin" of the NBR website to improve its design and usability. The new menu button allows subscribers to find specific content they’re interested in such as our analytical columns, Shoeshine or Hunter’s Corner while NZX ticker codes allow readers to see realtime share price information on listed companies.

The nitty-gritty on the app 

Subscribers can be logged on the website and the app simultaneously but there is a limit of only two devices able to be connected at one time.

On a late model iPhone both touch and face ID will work for passwords, which means users won’t need to type their password or username in each time even if the system logs them out.  Users will also be able to seamlessly make comments on articles.

The app has been built from the ground up using proprietary software written by NBR’s technology partner, Nero Motion.  The advantage of that approach is NBR will be able to update the app whenever necessary and simply send a notification to member subscribers when that happens.

It also gives NBR the ability to push notifications to users about breaking news stories or important communications.

Scott said it has been five months of hard work developing the app which has been in testing mode for the past few weeks. NBR welcomes reader feedback.