New Straits Times Mobile is a free news application for Malaysian readers, providing access to national journalism and sports coverage on iOS and Android.
The App DNA
What makes this app unique?
The app removes the financial barrier to national news, serving as a high-reach, ad-supported channel for the publisher's journalism.
For Readers seeking authoritative news coverage on Malaysian current events and national affairs.
What does it look like?
Key features
Allows users to download articles for access without an active internet connection; expands ad-impression inventory by increasing session frequency in low-connectivity environments.
Centralized view for browsing photos and videos; boosts time-in-app by providing visual content beyond text.
Enables retrieval of historical articles from the publisher archive; drives repeat visits and long-term retention.
How much does it cost?
The app functions as a free, ad-supported distribution channel for the publisher's journalism.
Velocity
Maintenance developmentperformanceopaqueShow more...
The app currently operates on a maintenance cadence, with only two releases identified in the recent window. The latest release occurred 100 days ago, indicating a significant period of inactivity. Development is focused exclusively on minor bug fixes, with no evidence of new features or live operations. The current release pattern suggests a stable but minimal support cycle.
Who built it?
The New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad
5 apps tracked · News
New Straits Times ePaper
Harian Metro ePaper
Harian Metro Mobile
Berita Harian ePaperUser Sentiment
What do users think recently?
Fresh user feedback skews frustrated. Users appreciate educational content covering global economic and sports news helps users improve their english language proficiency, but report aggressive and intrusive advertisements disrupt the reading experience and cause the article list to shift unexpectedly.
How are ratings & reviews evolving?
What users say, by theme
- Educational content covering global economic and sports news helps users improve their English language proficiency
- Aggressive and intrusive advertisements disrupt the reading experience and cause the article list to shift unexpectedly
50 of 50 recent reviews analyzed · high confidence · Frustrated overall
Read the full review analysisUnlock 2 more frustration themes and 2 user requests, each backed by review evidence.
Access the full report for freeCompetition
Competitive landscape for New Straits Times Mobile
How's the News market?
New Straits Times Mobile maintains a free, ad-supported position in the Malaysian news market, anchored by a 3.29-star rating across 7 store ratings. The 100-day update cadence signals a maintenance-only posture that prioritizes reach over feature parity.
Read the market outlookThe rivals identified
Unlock the deeper market read.
Access the full report for freeThe Analyst's Read
Key takeaways for New Straits Times Mobile
Where is it heading?
The Malaysian digital news market is consolidating around platforms that offer stable, high-performance reading experiences. New Straits Times Mobile's maintenance-mode posture leaves it exposed to churn, as the current technical instability and ad-density will continue to compress the active user base through the next quarter.
- The 100-day update cadence leaves critical crashes unresolved, which erodes user trust and drives negative sentiment in the latest reviews.
- Intrusive ad-delivery patterns disrupt the reading experience, causing users to abandon the app in favor of more stable, less disruptive news sources.
The SWOT
- Authoritative brand status as a leading Malaysian news source sustains organic install velocity
- Implementing system-level dark mode addresses the top user feature request
- Adding scroll-position memory would improve session retention for long-form readers
Next best moves
Audit ad-delivery frequency because intrusive ads are the top complaint theme → reduce churn
+ 1 more prioritized moveThe counter-intuitive read
The app's lack of a subscription model is a retention risk…
Read the full takeSince the last report: The app remains in a maintenance-only state with no functional changes to features or pricing. The only material shifts are minor refinements to the SWOT analysis and a marginal increase in the reported store rating.
Bottom line
New Straits Times Mobile must stabilize the core reading experience to retain its audience, as the current 100-day update cycle fails to address persistent crashes. Addressing these stability gaps is the prerequisite for any further feature investment.
Unlock 2 critical frictions, 1 market threat, 1 more prioritized move and the analyst’s take.
Access the full report for freeFAQ
Is New Straits Times Mobile free to use?
Does the app have a dark mode?
What are the main frustrations with the app?
Sources
Report last updated