iPad takes another step towards saving the magazine industry.

Future Publishing will be launching a bespoke iPad edition of their gadget and electronics magazine T3. The publisher has seen sales of its technology magazine increase six-fold since the iPad was released. There’s clearly a demand for the material, but will it sell well within the iPad community?

T3: iPad Edition is the publication from Future to be specifically tailored to tablet devices. They have previously released mobile phone apps including Total Film and MacLife, both for iPhone.

It has been announced the app will contain exclusive video, 360-degree animation and interactive image galleries. It is unknown at present how much it will cost; but the app will most likely be free, but the content will only be viewable under paid submission.

If the magazine has seen a six-fold increase in sales you have to wonder why the app is needed at all. It might be the publishing house trying to future-proof the title, or gain a competitive edge.

The additional content will help make the app a success. On other magazine apps like FlipBoard the interactive content makes it smooth and fun to browse. Reading is always great due to the device being perfectly sized.

Will this encourage Stuff Magazine, the UK’s most popular gadget magazine, to create an iPad app? Stuff has almost double the UK circulation as T3. Other popular technology based blogs have iPad apps including the popular blog Mashable.

Are companies making apps because everyone else is, or because they need to?