Condé Nast to launch top magazines on the Apple iPad

Condé Nast is set to launch digital versions of Wired, GQ, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker and Glamour for the Apple iPad.

The publishing group, which has already shown a demo version of what Wired would look like on the iPad, is expected to announce the new venture later today, according to reports.

GQ is likely to be the first magazine to be made available on Apple’s latest gadget, following on from the success of the single-edition GQ iPhone app, which saw December and January’s editions downloaded more than 20,000 times in the US.

An iPad version of the popular men’s magazine is expected to be ready next month, shortly after Apple begins shipping the iPad.

Reports suggest that Wired and Vanity Fair will be made available in May, followed by The New Yorker and Glamour.

Thomas Wallace, editorial director of Condé Nast, confirmed that the iPad experiment will last for several months, with different pricing and advertising models tested alongside content and formats.

If the trial proves a success, other magazine titles could also be made available on the tablet-style device, including Vogue and Condé Nast Traveller.

Chris Anderson, editor in chief of Wired, said: “For us it is an opportunity to reset the economics. For the first time people might value the experience [enough to] pay for it.”

The iPad versions of the titles will be sold via Apple’s iTunes store.