# Smithsonian Magazine vs FlipPhonic

The clearest difference is update cadence: FlipPhonic at every 2 months against Smithsonian Magazine's every 5 months. Smithsonian Magazine's advantage is chart position (#198 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Smithsonian Magazine sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and FlipPhonic sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Smithsonian Magazine ships an update every 5 months, FlipPhonic every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Smithsonian Magazine | FlipPhonic |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (430 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smithsonian-magazine/id484193368/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **430** | — |
| Positive reviews | 22.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | **#198** | — |
| Size | 62 MB | 25 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Smithsonian Institution](https://appshunter.io/developer/370564865) | [Omnia Data Analytics LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896568110) |

## What reviewers say

### Smithsonian Magazine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smithsonian-magazine/id484193368)

**Currently charting:** #198 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers, #199 Top Free · Magazines & Newspapers (US App Store)

Access a digital version of a renowned magazine covering history, science, culture, and travel. Enjoy in-depth articles, photos, and departments. Purchase single issues or subscribe for ongoing access to engaging content.

**Highlights:** Digital magazine issues, History and archaeology articles, Cutting-edge science reporting, Virtual travel and culture features, In-app subscriptions and single purchases

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Smithsonian Annual Subscription | $1.99 | per month |
| Smithsonian Annual Subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| 12-Month Subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| Smithsonian Magazine | $3.99 | one-time |
| Smithsonian Magazine - February 2014 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Smithsonian Magazine - September 2014 | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to navigate
- 🔍 Great content
- 👍 Intuitive interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🔒 Difficult to authenticate subscription
- 💰 Requires separate digital subscription
- 🔧 Clunky and buggy
- 🗂️ Loses downloaded issues

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to download new issues
- Fails to remember last read position
- Incompatible with newer iOS versions
- Incorrect issue labeling in library

**Requested features**

- Allow login with existing subscription
- Restore previously downloaded issues
- Improve stability and performance
- Provide better customer support


### FlipPhonic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flipphonic/id6768397363)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plus Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Yearly Plus | $29.99 | per year |
| 50 pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| 200 Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| 500 Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime 1000 generations / 30 days | $44.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Smithsonian Magazine free?

Smithsonian Magazine is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is FlipPhonic free?

FlipPhonic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Smithsonian Magazine or FlipPhonic have ads?

Neither Smithsonian Magazine nor FlipPhonic shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Smithsonian Magazine or FlipPhonic?

Smithsonian Magazine ships an update every 5 months, and FlipPhonic every 2 months. Most recently, Smithsonian Magazine was updated on November 10, 2026 and FlipPhonic on November 5, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*