Even after last week’s stream of hardware releases — a new iPad, new iMacs, and new AirPods all back-to-back — Apple had more to announce.
The company announced a bunch of new stuff at a two hour event this morning, primarily focusing on its new premium media subscriptions. Don’t have time to catch up on all of it? Here are the highlights:
AppleTV+: Apple is building an ad-free subscription video service. It announced a ton of new original content from names like Oprah, Steve Carell, JJ Abrams, Steven Spielberg, Jason Momoa, Kumail Nanjiani, and many, many more. You’ll also be able to use the app to subscribe to and view other add-on services, like HBO, Showtime, Stars, and CBS All Access. The new Apple TV app will work with iOS, macOS, and smart TVs (Samsung first, then Sony, LG, and Vizio) along with Roku’s hardware and Amazon’s Fire TV. No pricing details were revealed.
Apple News+: Apple News is getting an overhaul, including a new subscription service called Apple News+. For $10 per month, you’ll get access to 300+ magazines (current and past issues) and digital subscriptions, including People, Vogue, Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone, and Wired. Oh, and TechCrunch’s Extra Crunch!
Apple Arcade: An ad-free, all-you-can-eat gaming service for games on iOS, macOS, and tvOS. Apple says it’ll have 100+ games at launch, with titles from the likes of Disney, Konami, and LEGO. All games will be playable offline. It launches this fall in 150 regions, but Apple didn’t say how much it’ll cost.
The Apple Credit Card: Apple is making a credit card. It’ll exist as a virtual card and as a physical titanium card. It’ll have no late fees or annual fees. The physical card has no number printed on it — nor a CVV, expiration date, or signature. If a merchant needs that info, you’ll be able to pull it up in the Wallet app. It generates one-time use, dynamic security codes, which TC’s Zack Whittaker points out should make it a lot harder to steal. Customer service is handled via in-app text messaging. It’ll be available this summer.
Transit in US cities: Later this year, Apple Pay will work on transit systems in a few major US cities, beginning with Portland, Chicago, and New York.
Source: Tech Crunch