We have heard rumors that Apple may try to integrate its various subscription services for almost a year, but a report from Bloomberg today provided more information on the potential launch. According to the report, the subscription will be called ‘Apple One’ and could launch next to the iPhone 12 in October.
The report comes courtesy of Mark Gurman, who has an excellent track record with leaks. The subscription could come in several layers, and offer higher discounts the more services you choose. Gurman identifies four such tiers, which may be subject to change prior to launch:
- Apple Music and TV +
- Apple Music, TV +, and Arcade
- Apple Music, TV +, Arcade, and News +
- Apple Music, TV +, Arcade, News +, and extra iCloud storage
Apple One is essentially Cupertino’s take on Amazon Prime – without the shopping experience. Google also has a subscription service with the ‘One’ app, but it’s more focused on cloud storage than content usage.
By offering a subscription, Apple could potentially (even more) product trust and users on board try some of their services that they would otherwise have ignored. It’s much like how Amazon subscribers end up consuming Prime Video and Prime Music content, even if they originally signed up for the fast delivery service.
Whether Apple can actually force users to join a bundle is another story. At first glance, offering so many tiers seems a bit complicated, especially since Apple seems to have had mixed success in getting people to sign up for these individual services in the first place. But maybe a package deal is just what the company needed to support those subscriber numbers – as long as the price is accurate in any case.
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Published August 14, 2020 – 02:16 UTC
