In the aftermath of the recent Apple Live event, in which the cult of Cupertino unveiled the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, the Apple Watch, and new features like Apple Pay, the Apple TV faithful were once again left in the lurch, with no mention of a new device in sight. However, with today’s release of iOS 8, a surrogate gift was offered up for third-generation Apple TV owners, in the form of a revamped beta interface, new photo and sharing features, and a new Beats Music app.
It’s not surprising to see Beats Music show up on the latest Apple TV, considering Apple recently threw down $3 billion for the entire Beats Electronics family. The new Beats Music channel should make a nice addition to the device’s stable of apps, especially for those with a decent home-theater system to listen through.
The inclusion is relatively significant, since its really the first major assimilation of Apple’s newly acquired suite of Beats products and software. We had hoped to see a pair of Beats headphones show up as a pairing with the iPhone 6, but seeing that Apple didn’t formally welcome Beats “to the family” until August, it makes sense that the new iPhones will again carry the critically-maligned Earpods. The addition of Beats Music on the Apple TV is likely the first of many steps towards Beats integration as Apple tries out its new toys.
Perhaps even more significant is the upgrade to the Apple TV’s interface. First reported by 9to5 Mac, the new design flattens the app icons and thins out the text to line up with the look and feel of iOS. According to the report, the upgrade also brings support for iOS 8’s iCloud Photo Library, as well as Family Sharing, which allows multiple Apple ID accounts to share a single credit card for iTunes purchases.
Today’s upgrades are a bit of a Band-Aid fix for Apple’s aging streaming device, which was released back in March of 2012 — eons ago in tech time. If the rumors are to be believed, we won’t see a new Apple TV until well into 2015. That’s a long way to wait for those shopping the latest in streaming technology, especially considering the expansion of the competition.
Fighting Amazon’s speedy Fire TV, the latest Roku devices and the new Roku TV smart platform, a swelling of apps for Google’s Chromecast, and a host of lesser known competing devices, the Apple TV swims in deep waters. Apple is no doubt hoping the latest upgrades will satiate the streaming masses until a new Apple TV finally makes its way out of the shadows, and into the living room.
As ubiquitous as Apple Music might be in the world of streaming music services, sometimes it’s nice to just have all the information you need about it laid right out for you, especially if you’re trying to decide between it and its main rival, Spotify. And while Apple Music may no longer be the more popular of the two, it still boasts an estimated 88 million users worldwide as of June 2022.
Home to more than 100 million songs, curated playlists, social listening tools, Apple exclusives, and quality features such as Dolby Atmos Music, Spatial Audio, and hi-res lossless audio (something Spotify has yet to achieve), Apple Music shows no signs of giving up the fight. If you’re thinking of grabbing yourself a subscription, we’ve broken down the fundamentals of the service to let you know what you can expect.
The basics
Like Spotify, Apple Music offers millions of streaming songs on demand. It also blends your personal music catalog with on-demand streaming and live radio, all in one place. At the moment, Apple offers a one-month free trial (or more if you buy eligible audio devices), and after the trial period, the service will cost you $11 per month for the Individual plan or $17 per month for a Family plan that accommodates up to six members. Students will pay just $6 per month.
Apple TV — the hardware — is one of the best streaming devices money can buy, giving you access to your favorite streaming services like Netflix and Prime Video, as well as apps, games, and more. But another reason one might use the Apple TV device is for the Apple TV app itself. Not only is it the hub from which you access the Apple TV+ streaming service and all its original movies, TV shows, and live sports, it can also act as an an aggregator to help you find shows and movies on your other services.
If you do use the Apple TV app, you might find the auto-play video previews that show up on the Apple TV home page or in the Apple TV app itself really annoying. First, If your sound is up, they can kick in and startle you. Plus, maybe you just want to scroll at your own pace and don’t like having content served up to you. Also, if you have small kids sitting waiting for you to return with the popcorn for movie night, you don’t want them exposed to previews for scary content like The Enfield Poltergeist. Or worse … The Morning Show.
Apple TV+ isn’t the newcomer to streaming it once was when it launched in 2019. In fact, Apple TV+ has made quite the name for itself, raking in Emmys and Oscars for its top-notch original movies and TV shows. Its subscription numbers have risen steadily over the years, and it’s established itself as a desirable streaming service in and among the Netflixes and Amazon Prime Videos of the world.
But one of the best things about Apple TV+s remains its relatively low price compared to more expensive options like Netflix and Hulu. Just how much is Apple TV+, and how can you save even more on your subscription cost? Read on to find out.
How much is Apple TV+?
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