Apple joins streaming set
APPLE IS soon to launch one of the most affordable and household-friendly TV streaming services yet. Apple TV+ will launch worldwide on November 1 and cost Kiwis $8.99 a month to subscribe.
That will make it one of NZ’s cheapest streaming services, with up to six family members able to share one subscription for streaming original content on their own devices.
On top of a free seven-day trial, people who buy an Apple product will qualify for a free year-long sub.
And 4K streams will cost the same as HD streams, unlike Netflix, which charges a hefty premium to view 4K content.
The debut of Apple TV+ will pip the launch of Disney+ ($9.99 a month) by six weeks but initially will offer far fewer series, with only nine having been confirmed so far for the first month.
More series will be added monthly but for the first year at least, competitors will dwarf Apple TV+ with their libraries.
Most Apple TV+ series will premiere with three episodes, with one new episode to roll out each week, while full seasons of some series will be available all at once.
Apple TV+ will follow this month’s launch of Apple Arcade, an $8.99 a month service that offers unlimited access to more than 100 exclusive games.
Apple’s also unveiled a new version of its most popular iPad, the latest Apple Watch and three iPhone 11 models to help drive uptake of its new subscription services.
The seventh-generation iPad ($599, from September 30) will have a 10.2-inch Retina display, support for Apple Pencil and, for the first time, the full-size Smart Keyboard (both sold separately).
Apple also promises all-day battery life, advanced cameras and sensors, improved multitasking with the new iPadOS, and a new recycled aluminium enclosure that reduces the weight to sub-500 grams.
The Apple Watch Series 5 has a lower price of $349 and a new Always-On Retina display, so you can see the time and other information without raising or tapping the display.
Other features include a screen that dims when a user’s wrist is down and returns to full brightness with a raise or a tap, 18-hour battery life, a new built-in compass, and new health and fitness apps (including one for tracking menstrual cycles).
The iPhone 11 (from $1349) comes in six colours with a 6.1-inch display, a new dualcamera system with a Night mode for photos and recording 4K video at up to 60 frames per second (and 120 fps slo-mo), improved water resistance and a new A13 Bionic chip for daylong intensive use on a single charge.
The iPhone 11 Pro (from $1949) and Pro Max (from $2149) have Super Retina XDR OLED screens with the brightest display yet in an iPhone and a triple-camera system, with allnew Ultra Wide, Wide and Telephoto cameras that can record 4K video with extended dynamic range and cinematic video stabilisation.