Apple has been clear on one thing for a while now – nothing resembling porn of any kind shall grace the screens of its iOS devices if it has anything to do with it. Of course, that’s not a world that Playboy founder Hugh Hefner wants to live in and last January the robe-wearing, pipe-toting extravagant promised an uncensored version of Playboy for the iPad.
Today, Hefner has delivered on his promise, bringing a pure, unadulterated archive of the magazine’s nearly 60-year-run to iOS devices.
Apple began its crusade against porn and other racy apps ast year, banishing more than 5,000 “sexy apps” from its App Store in one fell swoop. Since then, the company has continued on its crusade against skin, banning apps from the App Store for suggestive screenshots and even the mere potential for porn. So how has Playboy bypassed Apple’s now clear ruling against porn? Simple – a mobile Web app.
iPlayboy – found at i.playboy.com – is an iPad-optimized webpage where Playboy subscribers can access not only the latest issue, but the full archive of Playboy issues back to its 1953 origins. According to 9 to 5 Mac, the site will offer full access at $8 per month, $60 per year and $100 for two years.
Who needs to worry about App Store restrictions and in-app subscription fees when you have content people want to buy, huh? Who ever said mobile Web apps couldn’t work?
Not Hef, that’s who.
