iPhone 12 may launch alongside Apple Music, TV Plus and News Plus bundle
iOS 13.5.5 beta hints at Apple services bundle coming in time for iPhone 12
Apple may start offering a service bundle that combines access to Apple Music, Apple TV Plus and other services such as Apple Arcade, for a single monthly subscription cost. And such bundles might arrive pretty soon, according to code spotted by 9to5Mac in the iOS 13.5.5 beta.
Apple has been rumored to bundle its services together before, with a Bloomberg report from last fall claiming that Apple was negotiating deals with publishers and music producers to bring a suite of content into a single monthly cost. Nothing has happened so far, with subscriptions to Apple Music, Apple TV Plus, Apple News Plus and Apple Acracde still needing separate subscriptions.
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If you were to subscribe to all these services separately, it would cost you around $35 a month. But given that people tend to have quite a few subscriptions on the go at once, such as Netflix, Xbox Live, and Disney Plus, an additional $35 dollars a month could add up fast.
As such, Apple offering its services together at a lower price, say $25 a month, could lock more people into the company's ecosystem. A slight hurdle to this is that Apple will need to ensure it has agreements with various publishers and music producers.
But if Apple can bring together its services in an affordable and appealing package before September, then it could have another way to boost the appeal of its upcoming iPhone 12. Not only will Apple fans get a new iPhone, potentially with a 120Hz refresh rate display, more power, an upgraded camera system, they could also get access to a load of services that could complement the iPhone 12 models when they arrive in September or October.
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Roland Moore-Colyer a Managing Editor at Tom’s Guide with a focus on news, features and opinion articles. He often writes about gaming, phones, laptops and other bits of hardware; he’s also got an interest in cars. When not at his desk Roland can be found wandering around London, often with a look of curiosity on his face.