Digital publishing platform Kindmags is celebrating the successful launch of 5 Magazine for iOS. The magazine, edited by Manchester United and England footballer Rio Ferdinand, achieved first position in the UK Lifestyle category for the iPhone, as well as a top 10 position on the iPad on the first day of launch.

“5 Magazine clearly demonstrates the demand for digital versions of magazines,” says Kindmags associate director, Jordan Hancock. “Given the forecast sales figures for smartphone and tablet devices, and the imminent launch of Apple Newsstand, all publishers should begin to review their digital strategies.”

5 Magazine is available for the iPhone and the iPad, and Kindmags believes that the number one chart position on the iPhone demonstrates that whilst magazine content is optimally viewed on tablet devices, publishers should not neglect smartphones, which allow for much wider digital distribution and mass market appeal.

5 Magazine was previously published using Flash, which excluded the increasing smartphone and tablet population. Now it uses Kindmags’ digital publishing platform, which uses the latest open web standards such as HTML5. The company says that this has significantly increased the reach of the magazine, by making it available on virtually any internet-connected device. 

The Kindmags platform accepts print-ready files such as PDF and converts them into digital, rich media layouts. It also enables publishers to take advantage of the unique features of digital devices, allowing them to incorporate interactive features such as video, audio, animations and dynamic data feeds.