APPLE BRINGS HOLLYWOOD TO CUPERTINO
Apple unveiled upgrades and brand new Services this morning in Cupertino. Besides the announcement of the new Apple TV Plus streaming service coming this fall, the tech overlord announced its new News+ service, Apple Arcade, Apple Card and a revamped Apple TV App.
To start the event, Apple announced the launch of its new subscription news service, called Apple News+. For $9.99 customers will receive access to a selection of articles and news content from a variety of publications, including many that are otherwise behind paywalls.
Expanding on Apple Pay and Wallet, Apple Card was announced and will debut later this year as a new credit card service.
Apple Arcade was introduced, billed as the "world's first gaming subscription service for mobile, desktop and living room." Customers will be able to play games across multiple devices, as well as offline. No price point was announced.
The most talked about service heading into this morning's event, was undoubtedly the unveiling of Apple's new streaming service, Apple TV+. The original video subscription service coincides with the new Apple TV App, and will give users access to exclusive original shows, movies and documentaries. On hand to announce new content they helped create were Steven Spielberg (remaking Amazing Stories), Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston and Steve Carell (The Morning Show), J.J. Abrams and Sara Bareilles (music series Little Voices), Jason Momoa and Alfre Woodard (See), Kumail Nanjiani (Little America) and Big Bird.
Oprah Winfrey was the final guest speaker, commenting about her new partnership with Apple, "They're in a billion pockets, y'all! A billion pockets." She then announced two programs she has in the works for the new network, Toxic Labor and another untitled docuseries on mental health.
Oprah also teased plans to utilize Apple's platforms to take her book club to new levels.
How Apple will price and potentially bundle all of these new and upgraded services, along with where Apple Music fits in, remains to be seen.
During the presentation we started a drinking game that required everyone to take a shot every time Tim Cook said “privacy.” We were hammered within 15 minutes.
