Apple’s next big things are not things – hardware giant shifts to services with TV streaming, news, credit card and games
- The strategic transformation of the tech giant into a content provider puts it in competition with Netflix and other streaming services
- The Apple News + service meanwhile offers access to hundreds of magazines and news sites for US$9.99 a month
Apple on Monday unveiled a star-packed original video service, a subscription plan for magazines and newspapers, and a credit card as part of a new strategic move for the iPhone maker.
The US tech giant, aiming to emphasise digital content and services to make up for a slump in smartphone sales, also announced Apple Arcade, a game subscription service for mobile and other devices.
Director Steven Spielberg, TV host Oprah Winfrey and Hollywood stars Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carrell made appearances at the event, which puts Apple in competition with Netflix, Google, Amazon and others in various segments.
The Apple TV+ service – an on-demand, ad-free subscription service launching this year in 100 countries – will compete with services such as Netflix and Hulu with Apple investing heavily in its own content, while upgrading its TV application for third-party services.