Uh, oh — competition for iPhone Life magazine from Guide to Phone Apps magazine

Coinciding with CES, Beckett Media announced the availability of Guide to Phone Apps magazine, which covers three platforms: iPhone, Blackberry, and Android. The press release describes it as, "the #1 source for all your iPhone and BlackBerry app news and reviews." I beg to differ, of course. The first issue is 100 pages, like our own magazine, and covers apps in a variety of categories, including games, travel, social networking, utilities, and more.

It also offers tips and advice from mobile phone experts, such as how to get the most from your phone, how to find free games, and how to choose the best accessories." It's available at 50,000 retail locations nationwide and costs a couple bucks more than ours. Articles include: 10 Apps That Will Make Your Day, Accessorize Your BlackBerry, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love My iPhone, How to Score Paid Apps for Free, and top app lists for travel, social networking, gaming, utilities, and more.

I think that from the perspective of our magazine, the appearance of this new title is a good sign — that the market is vital and growing. May we both live long and prosper. And speaking of magazines, another press release announced that Shufflegazine, an Apple lifestyle magazine, is now available on the iPhone. The Shufflegazine Apple Lifestyle Magazine app is $0.99 and individual issues are $2.99. Annual subscription is $19.99.