Apple to combine first-party services into one subscription
Apple is known for providing its own first-party services in lieu of promoting the efforts of third-party developers. These include services like Apple Arcade, Apple Music, and Apple TV. According to Bloomberg sources, the bundled subscriptions are currently labeled under “Apple One.”
Apple One will consolidate many of Apple’s subscription-based services under a number of tiers – with the number of services scaling upwards with the price of tier upgrades. These range from the entry-level bundle of Apple Music and Apple TV+ all the way to including Apple Arcade, Apple News, and even additional iCloud storage.
In our modern age, where traditional media packages have been replaced with a myriad of select, niche services, Apple aims to bring simplicity to its userbase who may be frustrated with the complication and time-consuming management of a growing number of subscriptions.
Apple’s bundling strategy is geared toward enticing subscribers to purchase more services by discounting them under the Apple One family. This way, customers can ‘save’ money since each service under Apple One will cost less to subscribe to compared to purchasing each service individually.
Additionally, Apple One subscribers can include up to six different users through Apple’s Family Sharing – another strategy to entice those who would rather stay together under one plan, and one monthly payment.
Apple One is modeled after Amazon Prime, which bundles its premium online-shopping service with others such as Prime Video, Prime Music, and even Prime Gaming – which is a rebranding of “Twitch Prime." The prospect of securing regular, steady income instead of one-time purchases seems to be Apple’s ultimate goal with this endeavor.
Tentatively planned for an October launch, Apple One will release during the same window as the iPhone 12 – who’s release was delayed from September to October. It isn’t confirmed if the delay was a result of Apple’s plan to bundle their services, but the timing does strike suspicion.
By releasing just before the holiday season in conjunction with the rollout of the now delayed iPhone 12, Apple has solidified a respectable lineup for consumers to choose from once December comes around.
Just to be clear, “Apple One” is currently only a working title and may be subject to change – more info will be released closer to the start of the holiday season.
