On Monday, Apple announced new services, including Apple News+, Apple Card, Apple Arcade, and Apple TV+. Here are some details you might have missed from the event.
Staggered releases
Despite introducing four all-new services, only Apple News+ is available beginning today, March 25. The rest aren't launching until later this year, according to this schedule:
- Apple News+: Available now in the United States and Canada; launching in the United Kingdom and Australia later this year
- Apple Arcade: The gaming subscription service will begin this fall in more than 150 countries across iOS, macOS, and tvOS
- Apple TV: The all-new Apple TV app is coming to iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV customers in over 100 countries with a free software update this May, and to Mac this fall. The Apple TV+ subscription service doesn't launch until this fall.
- Apple Card: Launches this summer to qualified users in the United States only.
So many magazines
The Apple News+ service includes more than 300 magazines and newspapers. These include the familiar (Macworld, TIME) and the less well known (N-Photo, FourFourTwo). Apple's giving everyone a month of the service for free.
Good start for Apple Arcade developers
Although it's not launching until this fall, Apple Arcade already has a lot of game companies onboard big and small, including Disney, SEGA, and many more.
Oprah's book club has a new digital home
Oprah Winfrey announced at the end of today's event that she'd introduce at least two documentaries on Apple TV+ this fall. You might have missed that she also plans on bringing her iconic book club to the new video service.
On stage, she explained that Apple TV+ would be used for "building the biggest, most vibrant, most stimulating book club on the planet... I want to literally convene a meeting of the minds connecting us through books."
Apple Pay gets transit support
Right before Apple introduced its new credit card, we learned that Apple Pay will begin supporting transit pay in Portland OR in the coming weeks with support rolling out to Chicago, IL, and New York City, NY later this year.
Not everyone said yes
There were two big names noticeably absent from today's Apple News+ announcement. The New York Times and The Washington Post are not a part of it.
What about my Texture subscription?
If you currently own a Texture magazine subscription and pay through iTunes, it appears that your subscription details automatically carry over to Apple News+. However, you'll still have to cancel the Texture subscription separately.
What was your favorite part about the event?
Is there something that stuck out to you at Apple's Special Event? Let us know what your thoughts are in the comments down below
