Apple Unveil A Range of Subscription Services

 

Apple has finally unveiled their selection of new subscription services that are sure to make a dent in your wallets in the near future.

Apple have announced that they will bringing a selection of subscriptions across television, news and video games.

Here were all the major announcements from the March Apple Event:

Apple TV+

Apple TV+ is an advert-free subscription video service similar to Netflix and Amazon Prime. At the event Apple announced a lot of new original material from names like Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Reese Witherspoon, Jason Momoa and many, many more!

You will also be able to use the app to subscribe to more services like HBO. TV+ will work across all iOS devices, macOS and smart TV’s starting with Samsung.

Very little else was given away by Apple so it is unclear just how much Apple TV+ will cost, however we assume it will be competitive with the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime.

The service will be available “this fall”.

Apple News+

Apple News is evolving and will now include a new subscription service called Apple News+. The service will cost $9.99 a month in the US with the first month being free.

At first, this will give you access to over 300 magazines and other digital news including Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, National Geographic, Vogue and People.

Apple Arcade

Just one week after Google announced their gaming service “Google Stadia”, Apple have also unveiled their gaming service “Apple Arcade”.

Unlike the cloud gaming service that Google announced, Apple Arcade is a subscription to games that are available through the App Store instead of titles you can play on the PlayStation for example.

Once again, Apple weren’t completely transparent regarding the subscription such as costs or an exact release date, but they did say you will be able to access more than 100 games that are exclusive to iOS.

You will be able to play these games across all Apple devices and the games will also be available to play offline.

Apple Card

It wasn’t all about Apple’s subscription services, the tech giant also announced that they were making a credit card. This will exist in two forms a virtual card and a physical titanium card.

The Apple Card claims it is “a new kind of credit card” that doesn’t have late fees and actively encourages you to pay less interest.

Supposedly, it is extremely secure with the physical card having no number, expiration date or signature on the card and it generates new security codes each time you make a purchase. The virtual one is designed so only you can use it with all the technologies such as Face ID and Touch ID built into it.

Unlike usual credit card applications, you can apply directly on your iPhone and, once approved, the card is stored on the Wallet app where you can view your statements, balance, and payment due dates.

The app also shows you the locations of transactions to help you remember where you may have made purchases.

The card offers a 2% cash back reward (3% for Apple purchases) that is paid daily into your Apple Pay account. It will also be accepted pretty much anywhere as it is partnered with Mastercard.

The Apple Card is “coming this summer” to the US and will likely be released late 2019/early 2020 in the UK.