After weeks of on-again and off-again rumors, Apple finally held a coveted launch event on March 25 at the Steve Jobs Theatre where it launched not one but five different Apple products amidst a huge media crowd and coveted actors, directors, namely Steve Caroll, Steven Spielberg, Chris Evans, Sara Bareilles, Jason Momoa, to name a few. We decided to dig deeper and provide our readers with the five products that Apple launched during the Special Event 2019.
Apple News Plus
Starting with the most obvious, Apple News Plus has been in the news for a while now with rumors coming in from different sources claiming how the app will work and what it will feature. Well, Apple broke off all the rumors by cementing what it has to offer with the latest all-in-one news subscription service called Apple News Plus.
According to The Verge, Apple users can subscribe to more than 300 magazine titles from around the globe through a one-time $9.99/mo plan that works in Canada and the U.S. as of now. The app is free for the first month and offers family sharing but it is just the tip of the iceberg. Apple News Plus features ‘Live Cover’ presentation to display magazines that change the way how we look at magazines. The app works using machine learning algorithms that enable it to find the most readable types of content based on the user’s taste.
Further, the app has added support to automatically download magazines for offline reading whenever a new issue is released. The app supports more than 300 magazines and includes new partners ranging from Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, and others that the app will keep in tow so that readers can consume the content as per their wish.
Apple Card
Apple presents Apple Card which is a one-of-a-kind virtual credit card that comes with Apple Pay. Apple Card has no visible card number, CVV, or any other details but it is rather just a blank card that allows users to make purchases and pay it back using Apple Pay and other modes, if available. The card stores all the data digitally within the Wallet app encrypted at the highest standards and since it is Apple, users can be assured that they are pretty much bulletproof against any intruders.
Further, the wallet marks all the purchases that are listed on the app with precise location, time, etc. The card ensures that the user pays the less amount as interest by scrolling a wheel that shows the amount to be paid as interest in lieu of principal payment. The card is backed by Mastercard and Goldman Sachs where it is available across all outlets supporting the former and adds a 2% reward at every purchase, every day. For those who are traveling somewhere, they can order titanium built Apple Card which is the thinnest status of the symbol as per The Verge.
Apple Arcade
Looks like Apple is trying to break the stereotypes of being a non-gaming phone although it runs games smooth as the most competent Android gaming phone too. Introducing Apple Arcade, Apple’s blow at Google Stadia cloud-basing gaming system although Apple doesn’t run it via the cloud.
Apple Arcade is a gaming subscription service that runs on all iOS devices and covers more than 100 games enlisted as iOS exclusive. The service enables users to play games online and offline on their Apple TV, iPad, iPhone, and Mac computer without any hassle. The service is connected to the iOS App Store where the users can download and play the games after paying a monthly subscription fee which is something we don’t know much about at the moment.
Apple TV Channels
Apple is literally on fire with its video and news subscription services and that is why it has added Apple TV Channels. The service lets users decided which channel they wish to watch and which they don’t. Pay on the go, pay as you watch are a few ways you can think of this new service as well. With a wide collection of traditional channels like Starz, HBO, CBS All Access, Cinemax, and more, the app with the said new service will be released in May across all Apple TV and Mac devices including support to Amazon Fire TV, Roku, and other smart televisions too. According to Apple, it already has expanded to 100 countries covering channels and more tailoring it to fit specific regions and wishes to add more in the future as well.
Apple TV Plus
Finally, breaking the barriers with a standalone all-in-one video streaming service, Apple TV+ is here to make a dent across all other similar services. The service offers everything from movies, sports, TV series, and more across different video streaming services such as Hulu and 150 other third-party apps while offering access to channels like HBO, CBS All Access, PBS, Showtime, NBC, etc and that’s all by paying a single subscription fee that offers access to all.
According to the Special Event, Apple TV Plus home screen offers access to your last movies, TV series that you have watched along with other suggestions to catch up on. If you are all caught up, you can swing into the various of searching the next story to watch on Apple TV Plus. You can search for something, use Siri to find something, or you can let the app to do its job by running sophisticated machine learning techniques to find out something that suits your taste.
Apple has insisted that all the content streamed on Apple TV Plus will be of high resolution and will possess the highest audio clarity and will be completely ad-free. The users will be able to stream the content over any devices under Apple ecosystem and since we are talking about 1.4 billion active iOS devices, it is surely gonna give an edge over to a competent rival like Netflix which recently broke off from Apple App Store.
Apple will now focus on its original content with many titles under production and up for launch in coming weeks although the Cupertino-based tech giant didn’t disclose much about the original content and not even trailers or teasers as well.
Apple invited a number of A-list actors and directors during the Apple Special Event 2019. It introduces five different products during the event. Thanks to its resilience, it has been able to introduce an all-in-one video and news subscription services on the go. It rolled out a competitor to Google Stadia as well and with more than a billion devices to host these services, it is just a matter of time until the big fishes in the pond might have to worry about Apple taking their positions.
