Apple reportedly plans to launch a new bundled subscription service for music, news and more
Tim Cook, chief executive officer of Apple Inc., speaks during an event at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California, U.S., on Monday, March 25, 2019.
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Apple is preparing to launch new subscription plans that bundle several of its services together, Bloomberg reported on Thursday. The plans are reportedly called “Apple One” by employees, but it’s unclear if that’s going to be the final name.
According to the report, Apple plans to package services like Apple TV+, Apple Music, Apple News+, Apple Arcade and iCloud storage into different plans that provide consumers a discount for packaging everything together. Those services typically cost between $4.99 and $9.99 per month. The report said Apple is preparing several different tiers, including one that offers everything and others that bundle some services but not others.
An Apple spokesperson wasn’t immediately available to comment.
Apple’s services business is surging. The segment delivered $13.16 billion in revenue during Apple’s fiscal third quarter, showing double digit growth. Some of Apple’s services have reportedly been off to a slow start, however, like Apple News+, which gives you access to several publications for $9.99 per month. If it’s packaged with a more popular service, say Apple Music, people may be more willing to use it.
It’s sort of like Amazon’s Prime service. If you sign up for Amazon Prime, you get access to faster shipping, Amazon Prime Video services, Amazon Photos, Amazon Prime Music, discounts at Whole Foods and so on. A bundled plan creates a better chance for Apple to lock customers into its services.
Apple is planning to unveil the services as soon as October, when it’s expected to announce new iPhones, according to the report.
