Digg Reader makes the jump to iOS via Digg app

Since Google announced it was closing Reader back in March, a number of companies have stepped up to offer alternatives. In addition to Feedly and AOL, Digg also threw its hat into the ring and, after launching Digg Reader in beta earlier this week, has now brought the service to iOS. The catch? Digg Reader is not a standalone application. Instead, reports TechCrunch, you’ll find it inside the Digg app.

As a Google Reader user who has been using a couple of different apps to try and fill the void, I can tell you that one thing I deem really important is a mobile app. It’s something that a lot of Google Reader clones built for the Web don’t have yet. Feedly’s best experience is arguably in its apps (to the detriment of its Web product), while AOL Reader doesn’t have any apps to speak for yet. And Flipboard, as beautiful as it is to skim through, isn’t suited for someone who subscribes to thousands of feeds.

I suppose what I’ve been after is a reading tool that adopts all of the best characteristics of Google Reader and adds its own improvements. Digg Reader on the Web has really impressed me so far, even going so far as to use a very similar looking list view with the feed name, article title, a small excerpt and the time all visible on one line. Digg Reader for iOS, while really a part of the main Digg app, seems to keep that same look. We’ll find out over time how usable it is compared to the great Google Reader app that Google released for Android.

The inclusion of Digg Reader inside the Digg for iOS app is a pretty brilliant play on the part of Digg. The feed reading aspect is a draw for many who might otherwise would have never downloaded the app. But upon doing so, these folks might just discover that Digg is a pretty decent curator of content itself. In fact, according to a Buzzfeed report from April, the referral traffic Digg has been sending out has increased 93% over the past 12 months. So the site has picked up some steam since it was acquired and the team got to work rebuilding it. It’ll be interesting to see what kind of impact Digg Reader will have once it’s fully open to the public.

If you’re an Android user, don’t fret — Digg is working on bringing Digg Reader to that platform in a few weeks. In the meantime, for those of you on iOS, we’d love to get some of your thoughts on Digg Reader. Do you plan on downloading the Digg app to use it, or will you be sticking with another app?