Apple has introduced some new services, including a credit card, own video content and a game flatrate.
News+
Apple is extending the news app into a platform in which several magazines can be read against a payment of just under 10 dollars. Available are (not complete): Variety, National Geographic, Vanity Fair, Popular Sience, The New Yorker, Sports Illustrated, Fortune, Wired, The Wall Street Journal, People, GQ, and the Rolling Stone. The service will be available in May only in the USA.
For users in other countries there is already Readly.
Apple Card: The Apple Credit Card
Apple launches its own credit card. This is available both virtually via the iOS Wallet and physically. Apple offers 2% Payback when used in the shop and it doesn’t cost a fee. Up to here very good. Apple works with MasterCard and GoldmanSachs to provide the payment service.
The latter will probably deter many from using it, as the bank does not have the best reputation and the payment information accumulates there. Apple itself doesn’t say where what is bought and what was paid for it. GoldmanSachs should not sell the data to third parties. However, they should probably work with it internally.
Apple Arcade
The problem with many good games is that they are not suitable for the masses. Therefore, many are not produced and are hard to find.
Apple now summarizes many independent games in Apple Arcade and apparently also produces them. All games are also playable offline, so there is no need for a permanent internet connection.
In addition, no in-app purchases are necessary, all levels are included immediately. In addition, no data is tracked. In autumn the service will start with 100 games and in 150 countries. The price is not known.
New Apple TV App: Apple TV channels
Apple is expanding Apple TV by combining a lot of content, whether it comes from an Internet service, iTunes itself, or cable TV, into Apple TV. For example Spectrum, direct tv, optimal, hulu and fubo are included. Here, too, the focus is on the USA, payment should be possible per channel.
Interesting: from May, the Apple TV App will also be available on the Mac. In addition, the Apple TV App will also feature Smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony and Vizio, also on Roku and Amazon’s FireTV.
New streaming service: Apple TV+
Apple now also produces its own content: Apple TV+ is the name of the service. Together with Apple TV on external devices, Apple also wants to become a content service provider.
Various series are available at the beginning. A series with Jennifer Aniston “The Morning Show” deals with breakfast television in the USA and relationships between men and women, a second format is with Operah and revolves around interviews.
The service is scheduled to arrive in over 100 countries in the fall and will cost money. The price is not yet known.
