Apple may soon let you subscribe to its suite of services in bundles. A new report by Bloomberg claims Apple is developing a series of new subscription plans for offering services such as Apple News and Apple Music in bundles at a lower monthly price.
Internally dubbed as Apple One, sources familiar with the matter told Bloomberg it could arrive as early as October alongside the company’s next-gen line of iPhones. Apple is said to be working on multiple tiers to offer more flexibility for customers who are not looking to sign up for each and every one of its services.
The entry-level Apple One bundle will likely get you access to Apple Music and Apple TV+. For a few extra bucks, Apple will throw in the Apple Arcade gaming service as well. In addition, the next, more expensive package will include these three as well as Apple’s news platform, Apple News+. Lastly, the highest-end plan will come bundled with all of these apps and additional iCloud cloud storage space.
Bloomberg doesn’t say how much each of these plans will cost. But they’re expected to help Apple customers save between $2 to $5 per month. These bundles will be also compatible with File Sharing allowing families to share access between a couple of members. Although it’s unclear whether the family-sharing perk will cost extra.
What’s more, Apple may be preparing a new subscription that will offer virtual fitness classes — akin to Peloton and Nike’s apps. Code-named “Seymour,” it will be available as part of Apple One’s most expensive bundle.
We’ve reached out to Apple for confirmation and we’ll update the story when we hear back.
While platforms such as Apple Music have enabled the company to steadily grow its services revenue, its most recent ventures such as News+ and TV+ haven’t fared that well against rivals. Earlier this year, veteran analyst, Toni Sacconaghi said Apple TV+ may be “failing to resonate with customers.” Similarly, last month, Bloomberg reported Apple’s services such as Arcade and News+ have yet to generate any meaningful revenue.
In a way, Apple has already hinted about its interest in subscription bundles. The company offers a complimentary annual subscription to its video-streaming service, Apple TV+ with every new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, or Mac purchase. Subscription bundles have remained a proven method to push services and is widely adopted by companies such as Amazon and Disney and it’s no surprise Apple, which is increasingly exploring revenue streams outside of hardware, is willing to take a stab at it.
