Condé Nast Traveller app review: another travel magazine on your newsstand

Introduction

Condé Nast Traveller by Condé Nast Digital is yet another travel magazine available via the Newsstand app on your device. As with many of these Newsstand apps, this specific one comes with two free issues. All other issues can be bought as an in-app purchase. One issue will cost you $4.99, but you can also subscribe for a year, which will put you back $19.99. If you are already subscribed to the physical version of the magazine, you will get all digital magazines within your current subscription, making this app completely worthwhile. For $1.99 you can also get a one-month subscription, which is automatically renewed, but a bit less economical than the year subscription.

Completely Interactive

Condé Nast Traveller, the digital edition, is certainly much better than its printed brother. This magazine is completely interactive and has many different interactive objects within the magazine. Sometimes the image on the page simply moves, but on other pages you might be able to watch a video, listen to an audio clip, or link through to the web. You can easily zoom in on pictures, see them full-screen and move around with great sense of ease.

Behind some photos are hidden galleries, and sometimes the app even throws a handy map your way, so you can easily navigate using this app. On full-page photos, where sometimes text is printed on the page, you can simply tap on the hide icon to make the text disappear so you can enjoy the photo in all its glory.

Truth in Travel

Condé Nast Traveller’s motto, Truth in Travel, is completely interwoven in the design and writing of the magazine. The magazine seems to be written a little bit highbrow, so if you’re looking for a magazine that tells you how to spend the least amount of money on a trip, this might not be the magazine for you. All in all I believe this magazine has been created for the upper class of travelers, which also reflects in the writing style and the photography used in the magazine. I don’t think this actually is the truth in travel, as you will be much better off finding the truth on travel forums like Lonely Planet or Trip Advisor.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• A beautifully designed magazine
• Fully interactive, exactly what a digital magazine should be like

Cons

• It is written a bit too much for the upper class of travelers

Conclusion

Condé Nast Traveller is a beautiful magazine that is fully interactive. This is a great example of what a digital magazine should be like. The magazines are quite large to download and might take a while, but it’s fully worth it. I can recommend this magazine mainly for the upper class of travelers as it doesn’t give much though into the more backpacker style of traveling. The app is compatible with iPhone and iPad.