Apple's latest keynote, the Show Time event, brought with it news on an array of products and services coming to the company's slew of devices. However, unlike most Apple events, the focus was not on new hardware, but instead on subscription-based services--all designed to deliver entertainment, video game, and magazine content.
We've condensed all of the major news for you below, and we also have a roundup of everything we know about Apple Arcade.
Apple TV Channels and TV Plus
The centerpiece of the announcements was Apple TV, which came in two major ways. The Apple TV app is getting a major revision called Apple TV Channels that will allow users to directly access shows from providers like HBO, Starz, Amazon, and Hulu. You'll also be able to purchase shows on demand. It's coming this May, and the app will also expand to smart TVs and players like Roku and Amazon Fire TV in the spring.
Most of Apple's time was spent on Apple TV Plus, a premium subscription service offering new original programming akin to Netflix. Several Hollywood directors and actors appeared on stage to debut their upcoming projects, including Steven Spielberg, Jennifer Aniston, Jason Momoa, Big Bird, and Oprah. It will launch in the fall, and the price has not been announced. Apple showed off a backdrop full of creators currently making exclusives for Apple TV Plus.
Apple Arcade
Apple TV Plus wasn't the only subscription service announced during the presentation, though. The company also announced a new game product, Apple Arcade, which will get its own tab in the App Store when it launches this fall. It will include roughly 100 games with more being rotated regularly, and the list of publishers includes lots of recognizable names. In a seeming shot at Google's Stadia service, Apple was sure to mention that these games can be downloaded and played offline. One key detail we don't yet have is a price--we have no idea what access to these games will cost, but that in a market largely dominated by free-to-play titles, that could make or break the service.
Apple News Plus
But wait, there's another subscription service. Apple also announced Apple News Plus, an expansion to its News service that adds a wide selection of magazine subscriptions. It will cost $10 per month for unlimited access to more than 300 periodicals. App fans may recognize this as similar to Texture, the magazine subscription service acquired by Apple last year. Apple has added its own bells and whistles by integrating the functionality into its News service, as well as adding more search functions and neat features like "live covers."
Apple Credit Card
Finally, Apple announced its own credit card. It works similarly to Apple Pay, and the digital version actually runs through the Apple Pay app. But this is its own card with its own security features, financial tools, and cash-back rewards--which are delivered daily. A separate physical titanium card will be available too. Those cards launch this summer.
You can still see the full presentation through Apple's website.
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