CNN Unveils iPhone App with iReport

iPhone may be an impressive device all by itself, but it’s even more impressive to see all the companies that are jumping on board and offering their innovative app using the iPhone platform. Even news organizations are realizing the potential for this market, which is why they are jumping in one by one. CNN is the latest news organization that has jumped into the iPhone app business. It has just released CNN Mobile that is designed to keep iPhone holders informed with the latest CNN news on the go. CNN Mobile comes with videos, push notification, local news, and everything else you need to stay informed. The people at CNN seem to be optimistic about the fortunes of this app:

This is a major event for CNN…The impact that mobile can have is increasing. This app is really going to be an important indicator of where CNN is going moving forward.

CNN Mobile is very easy to use and provides with an easy way to skim through the news and even upload your own video to iReport. You can also customize what you want to see and filter out the junk.

The Video tab provides you access to the latest live streams from CNN. So whether you are in an airport or just waiting for a cab, you can listen to the latest CNN news on the go. You can also save stories and videos and view them at a later time. But perhaps the most powerful feature in this app is CNN iReport. If you happen to be close to where an important incident occurs, you can capture your video and upload it to CNN, hoping that they will actually show it during their daily programming. The app has a lot of positive, but CNN seems to be too optimistic about the potential of CNN Mobile. Otherwise, how do you explain the $1.99 price tag on this app? It’s true that CNN and other cable news organizations don’t give too much for free. While this app is very affordable, CNN and other news companies do tend to put their own spin on the news and report only the news that “they” deem important. The app has a lot of potential. It’s easy to use and the video upload feature is a plus. But I am just not sure anyone should be getting their news from CNN, Fox, or MSNBC these days.

Your take: would you pay $1.99 for CNN Mobile or similar applications?