App news roundup 04 February

Welcome to our latest news roundup – as usual we’ve handpicked some of the most interesting and relevant stories popping up in the app industry over the last couple of weeks to serve as inspiration for your next business app.

First literary classic to be made an app confirmed

The Canterbury Tales have become the first ever notable literary work to be turned into an app. The Chaucer classic has been turned into a 45-minute audio performance for the app, which will also give a digital version of the original manuscript, a dictionary of definitions explaining the Medieval terms, notes explaining the piece and a modern translation.

Disney Plus app gets set to launch in the UK

If you’re in a super competitive market, the launch of the new Disney Plus app in the UK may serve as a source of some inspiration. While the streaming market is fierce, and dominated by giants such as Netflix, Disney has set out to show that there’s always a place for variety with the launch of its own streaming service, Disney Plus. The service already launched in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands and was the most downloaded app in the USA at the end of last year. It has now been confirmed that the app will launch for iOS and Android devices in the UK in March.

Klarna shopping app gathering pace

The shopping brand Klarna has shown that it’s possible to deftly navigate your way into a direct to consumer space with the launch of its new app. Klarna’s previous focus was to allow shoppers on other sites to buy now and pay later. The new app, Klarna Shopping builds on the firm’s experience in this area by giving users an easy way to shop with any online retailer and pay securely from their smartphone.

The app has launched in the US and Australia to date, with Australian and American shoppers clamouring to download the app. It has already increased its number of transactions performed through the app tenfold since launch. So far, it is the most downloaded app on the App Store in the US in its space, with 200,000 more monthly downloads than its closest rival. Already, it looks on course to replicate this success in Australia after launching last week – it made it to the top two ranking in shopping apps for that market within hours of becoming available.