The Guardian app differentiates itself by charging to download it. A whopping great £2.39, which is the same as nine Daily Stars. And it doesn’t even have much in the way of topless lovelies either.

Executive summary: it’s brilliant.

The Guardian, and their developers 2ergo, have understood that mobile applications aren’t simply about slapping the existing website onto an iPhone and making the font a bit smaller.

It is a complete newspaper in your pocket. I spent much of last night attracting worried eyes as I laughed like a lunatic at Charlie Brooker’s column.  UK news, world news, comment, culture, sport, business, media, life and style… they are all there. Most newspaper web sites and applications are bland. They refuse to differente themselves from the really-unfair-because-they-get-the-license-fee BBC site by using what makes them special – insight, analysis and opinion. Lesson 1: a cut down size does not mean you have to have cut down content.

Impressively the app includes interlinking of information. An article about Barak Obama’s speech on climate change connects through to articles on the environment, climate change, world news and Barak Obama. The background to the story, and sometimes differing opinions, are right there. You can also see other articles by the same author. Lesson 2: Computers are pretty good at linking information together. Duh!

The app also seamlessly blends in audio content. Wake up to the soothing tones of the Guardian’s news briefing while soaping in the shower. Go to sleep with David Cameron outlining his policy on climate change. Lesson 3: The iPhone is not paper. You can do things like this.

If you’re the sort who ignores the protestations at Copenhagen and insists on flying, the application has an offline mode. I hear it is also quite handy on the Tube, so environmentalists and sweaty armpitted businessmen can enjoy it too. You can customise the layout of the app, pushing content you love to the front, which is ideal given the amount of content updated daily. Lesson 4: Think how people might use it.

The application integrates with Facebook and email. Lesson 5: We live in a connected world, and you can only do your brand good by allowing sharing. How do you do that with a rigid paywall?

The only thing currently lacking is user generated comments, although it is sometimes debatable whether they really add much value. And, as one reviewer noted, you can’t do the crossword.

There are further lessons for Mr Murdoch, who wants to make people pay for access to his newspapers online. We will pay for something in which we see value. We are not a nation of spongers as his comments inevitably suggest. The paid Guardian application is number 1 for news on the iPhone, and I actually feel a little guilty because it is a one off fee, rather than a subscription. The Times mobile web site offers cut down content and does nothing to take advantage of the capabilities. We iPhone users love having a powerful information and communication tool in our pocket. If News International steps up and takes advantage of that, we will happily put our hand in our pocket.

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