arrive each month. The service includes games from indepen-
dent as well as big-name developers.
WHO’S SUBSCRIBING TO APPLE ARCADE?
Unfortunately for Apple, the service is unlikely to appeal to
serious gamers. However, by excluding pay-to-play content,
the Arcade subscription is a great option for families. Casual
games often have in-app purchases that add up over time.
Excluding those games from the Arcade in favor of a library
curated by Apple means that parents can rest a bit more easi-
ly when it comes to their children’s mobile gaming habits.
APPLE TV PLUS: IT’S LIKE AMAZON
PRIME VIDEO, BUT TINY
Apple TV Plus is set to launch November 1 for $4.99 per
month. Like Netfl ix, Hulu, and Amazon, Apple is investing in
original programming. Unlike other subscription services, Ap-
ple is only hosting original programming. It’s a clever but risky
investment. Television is expensive to produce, and if users
aren’t interested in the content, that’s a lot of money in the
hole. But, by offering the subscription at a low intro-
ductory cost, Apple has a good opportunity to test
the new service.WHO’S SUBSCRIBING TO APPLE TV PLUS?
Cinephiles and television bingers are likely to at least try the
one-month subscription. And anyone who buys a new Apple
device will get one year free. The catalogue is cheap com-
pared to its competitors and, unlike other streaming services,
has content no one has already watched so often they’ve
memorized every line. If the new shows are any good, the
subscription service is likely to attract, retain, and grow new
customers in the coming year.ONE MORE THING?
In a departure from previous announcements, Cook didn’t
end the event by announcing one more thing. We were antic-
ipating either the Apple Tag (a Bluetooth tracker), an upgrade
to the Apple TV, or possibly an outlier like a camera band for
the Watch Series 5. The absence of a surprise release left a lot
of room for speculation about where Apple is headed in the
future.
Whether Apple continues to focus on new services or try to
strike a balance between luxury and casual price points, it is
clear that the difference between one generation of hardware
and the next is getting smaller. With an increased focus on
services, like Apple News Plus, Apple Card, Apple Arcade, and
Apple TV Plus, we should expect to see more monthly fees in
the future. We might also look forward to more fi nancing op-
tions for upgraded luxury lines as well as more budget-friendly
options without all the bells and whistles.
Regardless of where Apple goes next, one thing is likely;
we’ll continue to buy what the tech giant has to offer and trust
that a return to innovation isn’t far off in Apple’s future.“WITH AN INCREASED
FOCUS ON SERVICES, WE
SHOULD EXPECT TO SEE
MORE MONTHLY FEES IN THE
FUTURE.”
Tamlin Day is a feature web writer for iPhone Life. He holds degrees in graphic design
and professional writing and has been previously published in Breathe Easy Press.(Continued from page 18)