Apple’s March 25 Event--What You Might Have Missed And What You Should Know
This year at the Steve Job’s theatre, there was no ‘hardware’ launched. No iMacs, AirPods, or iPads. This year’s event focused more on launching new software services like Apple News+, Apple Card, Apple Arcade, and Apple TV+. These services are the byproducts of the current evolution underway at Apple.
Talking about services, the ones which Apple announced are creative and carry the potential to leverage the existing ones. Apple has has experience in each category already, with highly experienced individuals collaborating with partners in areas they were previously less familiar with.
To start with, Apple’s used the Steve Jobs Theater for this event. If you run an iPhone application development company or have been actively involved in iOS development services, there is tons of good news for you ahead.
Key highlights of Apple’s March 25th event
The very first new service to be unveiled was Apple News+ which is a premium version of the existing Apple News app. You get a one month free-trial and after that the News+ plan is $9.99 per month for access to 300 top magazines, the LA Times and Wall Street Journal, and select online publications including The Skimm and TechCrunch Extra.
If you really do want to read tons of magazines or content from the newspapers and digital publications included in Apple News+, the $9.99/month price is a great value. More sources will be added with time which will only make the price an even better value, and the one month free trial is useful for test driving the new service.
Carefully written and selected stories are worth every penny. These stories are captured in monthly issues as compared to the infinite stream of the online publishing world pushing clickbaits.
These magazines take advantage of the Apple News Format to have interactive magazine covers and seamless flow of articles. Apple News+ is definitely a better experience on the large screens for now.
Apple Card
Presenting Apple’s new credit card. This was the highlight of this year’s event. Taking into consideration its focus on financial health and a rewards program, we had anticipated this.
Apple has partnered with Goldman Sachs as its issuing bank and relies on MasterCard’s payment network. Apple currently has complete control over what Apple Card will be when it launches the summer of 2019.
You apply through the Wallet app on the iPhone, an Apple Pay-compatible digital card is issued instantly, and a titanium Apple-designed card is available for transactions that don’t work with Apple Pay.
Also, they provide 3% cashback on Apple products and services, 2% cash back on Apple Pay transactions, and 1% cash back on physical card transactions. This cashback is calculated daily and is made available with the Apple Pay Cash virtual debit card in the Wallet app.
This is exactly like the quarterly rewards provided by your credit cards which require manually activation.
Apple Arcade
We now have a subscription based game service. We probably know about Game Center, don’t we? Right details are a bit sparse. All that we can tell is that Apple Arcade will launch sometime this fall for a monthly price unannounced yet. It promises to include access to 100+ high-quality games across iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Mac with no ads and no in-app purchases.
Apple Arcade may also include access for every member in the family for one monthly fee through Family Sharing Plan.
Conclusion
Your time is right! This is probably the best time to hire iPhone app developer and make your mark in the iOS niche. Apple is bringing up ample of opportunities for third-party app developers to innovate and progress in their ecosystem.
