One of the most hotly anticipated streaming services, Apple TV+, has been leaving people in the dark for a while about its pricing, but now we have finally discovered how much a subscription to this platform will cost. At Apple’s iPhone event, where the iPhone 11 lineup was unveiled, the tech giant revealed that a subscription will be available for a monthly rate of $4.99. What’s more, the service will launch on November 1. As if that wasn’t enough, there will be a seven day free trial available for people who want to try before they buy.
This pricing system is reasonable if you compare streaming providers which are competitors in the sphere. For example, Disney Plus will launch on November 12 at a price of $7 a month, with hundreds of movies and thousands of TV episodes available right away. Smaller platforms which are based on cable networks, such as Showtime or HBO Now, are priced between $9 and $15 a month. Meanwhile, smaller streaming services which provide niche content are priced at around $5 a month. Netflix offers its most popular plan at $13 per month for US customers, although other plans are available at $9 and $16 a month.
There’s a way users will be able to get a free year of Apple TV Plus – by purchasing a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iPod Touch or Mac. Unfortunately, current Apple device owners aren’t a part of this offer.
Those who want to download original Apple shows from the platform will be able to do so, and the service will be available to stream on some competitors devices. For example, Apple’s TV app, where TV Plus programming can be streamed, is available on Samsung smart TVs. Furthermore, it’s set to also become available on smart TVs from Sony, LG and Vizio, plus Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices. Unfortunately, the app won’t be available on any mobile devices apart from iPhones or iPads.
In terms of how its series will be released, the company said that most of them will make their debut with three episodes, then subsequent instalments will arrive on a weekly basis. Some series will come with full seasons available on the platform, but it’s unlikely that this will apply to some of the most-anticipated shows.
So what content will be available once the platform has launched? Apple has named nine titles which will be available, with Apple CEO Tim Cook saying at the iPhone event: ‘All of these incredible shows for the price of a single movie rental. This is crazy.’ Upcoming titles available at launch are See, The Morning Show, Dickinson, For All Mankind, Helpsters, Ghostwriter, Snoopy in Space and The Elephant Queen. Titles set to be available in the upcoming months following the launch include Servant, Truth Be Told, Little America, The Banker and Hala.
