Following rumors earlier this week that Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) are to unveil the world’s first iPad-only newspaper subscription, comes a new report from Daring Fireball’s John Gruber that suggests Apple are to hold a media event on December 9th, where News Corp’s Rupert Murdoch will announce the plan for a new billing option for periodicals on the iPad.
Gruber wrote today, “My understanding, based on information from sources not at Apple, is that this is not something like iBooks — there is no central ‘iNews’ or ‘Newsstand’ app from Apple. Rather, it’s a new subscription billing option for apps — true recurring submissions — paid through your iTunes account.”
Although recent rumors have surrounded an iPad-only newspaper from News Corp, it seems that the December event won’t be just to announce this publication, but rather to announce a new recurring subscription model for newspaper and magazine companies to use that would allow for better delivery of their publications through Apple’s tablet.
As Cult of Mac’s John Brownlee points out, a subscription-billing option for the iOS will only encourage more publications to release digital editions of their periodicals for the iPad. Brownlee also indicates that the model could pave the way for subscriptions to other services, such as multiplayer online games or Netflix subscriptions.
[via Daring Fireball and Cult of Mac]