Apple One: Will this be a game-changer for Apple?
Last night, Apple made major headlines with its all-new line of Apple Watch and iPads. But, along with the fancy hardware, the company also took a major stride in the services segment by unveiling Apple One - a mega bundle bringing several Apple services together to help you save money. Here is all you need to know about it.
What exactly is Apple One?
Since last year, Apple has launched a range of subscription services focused on entertainment and utility, among other things. Now, to build on that experience, the Cupertino giant is offering 'Apple One' bundles, which you can use to subscribe to these services together and pay a lower amount than what would otherwise be required to pay while subscribing to each service individually.
Three specific bundles to choose from
Apple has introduced three main bundles: Individual, Family, and Premier. The Individual package gives access to Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and 50GB iCloud storage at $14.95/month; the Family bundle gives the same services but with 200GB iCloud storage at $19.95/month. Meanwhile, the Premier plan gives access to the aforementioned apps (2TB on iCloud) as well as News+ and Fitness+ services at $29.95/month.
Premier plan not available in India
In India, Apple's Individual and Family plans are much cheaper, with the former starting at Rs. 195/month, while the latter (shareable with 6) priced at Rs. 365/month. However, the Premier plan has not been launched in India as News+ and Fitness+ services are yet to be announced in the market. It is currently limited only to Australia, Canada, the UK, and US.
Obviously, this will translate to plenty of savings
With these new bundles, people in Apple's ecosystem are sure to save a lot of money. For instance, in India, taking Apple Music, TV+, Arcade, and 50GB of iCloud storage separately would have cost as much as Rs. 372/month. But, in this case, you would be paying just Rs. 195/month, meaning savings of Rs. 177/month.
And, it will boost Apple's less popular services
Most interestingly though, these bundles will give a major boost to the Apple's services division by 'cross-promoting' them. Basically, people who used only one Apple service before - say Apple Music - could also start taking additional ones (Arcade, iCloud, and TV+) by subscribing to their discounted bundle and shelling a little more than what they did before.
Finally, it boils down to more moolah for the company
Not to mention, by giving customers all the resources through an affordable all-in-one package, Apple is also locking them into its ecosystem. This will not only keep people away from its rivals like Spotify and Netflix but also create a steady, consistent source of monthly revenue. Eligible Apple One bundles will become available in over 100 countries starting this Fall.
