Apple today held a services-focused event at its Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California, where it unveiled several new services including Apple News+ for subscription news and magazines, Apple TV+ for original TV content, Apple Arcade for App Store games, and Apple Card, a new Apple-branded credit card with special capabilities in wallet.
During the event, Apple showed several videos, all of which have now been uploaded to Apple's YouTube channel. From the opening TV credits video to the ending video with Oprah, everything announced is summed up in these videos.
Of all of the services that Apple announced today, the only one that's available now is Apple News+. You can get Apple News+ after updating to iOS 12.2, which was just recently released. The other services will be available later this year.
The full livestream of Apple's event today can also be re-watched on the Apple Events website, and Apple will likely upload a version to YouTube in the near future.
Apple today released tvOS 12.2, the fifth update to the tvOS 12 operating system designed for fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models. tvOS 12.2 comes more than two months after the launch of tvOS 12.1.2.
tvOS 12.2, a free update, can be downloaded over the air through the Settings app on the Apple TV by going to System --> Software Update. Apple TV owners who have automatic software updates turned on will be upgraded to tvOS 12.2 automatically.
tvOS 12.2, when paired with iOS 12.2, is designed to allow users to ask Siri to play specific media on an Apple TV from an iOS device. You can, for example, ask Siri to play Modern Family on the TV in the living room, or Pitch Perfect on the TV in the bedroom. This feature is available for music, TV shows, and movies.
No other new features were discovered during the tvOS 12.2 beta testing period, and because Apple does not provide release notes for tvOS updates, it is difficult to determine what else might be new in the operating system.
tvOS updates are often minor in scale, however, so the update may primarily focus on bug fixes and other small changes rather than major new features.
Apple today released iOS 12.2, the second major update to the iOS 12 operating system that first launched in September 2018. iOS 12.2 comes more than a month after the release of iOS 12.1.4, the last iOS 12 update, and just after Apple's March 25 event that saw the unveiling of new subscription services.
The update is available on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the update, go to Settings > General > Software Update. As with all iOS updates, iOS 12.2 is free to download. It may take some time for iOS 12.2 to propagate to all iOS users.
iOS 12.2 is a significant update to iOS and adds a multitude of new features. First and foremost, the iOS 12.2 update introduces support for the new Apple News+ subscription service, allowing Apple News subscribers unlimited access to news and magazines for a monthly fee.
For Canadians, iOS 12.2 brings Apple News to Canada for the first time, expanding it beyond the United States, the UK, and Australia. Canadians can access news in either French or English.
There are four new Animoji in iOS 12.2, including a boar, a shark, a giraffe, and an owl. The new Animoji are available in the Messages and FaceTime apps.
iOS 12.2 lays the groundwork for AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support on third-party TVs from companies like LG, Sony, and Samsung, with these features set to be implemented later this year. These changes include updates to the Home app to add TV access, and a redesigned TV remote in Control Center that takes up the full iPhone screen and has a darker color. Apple has also introduced a new option for "Allow TV Access" to control who can access and send content to your TV.
When paired with tvOS 12.2, iOS 12.2 brings a new feature that lets you ask Siri to play specific TV shows, movies, and music on devices like third-party TV sets and the Apple TV.
For AT&T users, iOS 12.2 introduces a new "5G E" icon for the cellular signal, replacing the standard LTE icon. This is misleading branding from AT&T because the iPhone does not support 5G, nor is the network AT&T calls 5G E actual 5G. Instead, it's an upgraded version of LTE, with more info available here.
Apple has streamlined the interface of the Wallet app ahead of upcoming support for an Apple credit card made available through a partnership with Goldman Sachs. The Apple credit card could have unique Wallet features like rewards tracking, access to balance management tools, notifications about spending habits, and options to set spending limits.
New Wallet app on left, old Wallet app on right
There are dozens of smaller changes and tweaks in iOS 12. The Downtime feature can be customized by day, the Apple News, AirPlay, and Control Center Remote icons have been designed, and audio messages in the Messages app are now higher quality thanks to a new codec.
In iOS 12.2, audio messages use an updated Opus codec for higher quality audio
With Apple Pay Cash, there's a new "Add Money" option in Wallet that makes it easier to add funds, and in Safari, there are now search arrows for getting targeted search results more quickly when conducting a Google search. All websites that do not use a secure HTTPS connection are listed as "Not Secure" in the Safari menu bar, and there is a new Air Quality setting in Apple Maps.
Safari privacy is improving in iOS 12.2 with a new Motion & Orientation toggle located under Settings > Safari > Privacy & Security. Turning this on will let websites display content that relies on motion data from the accelerometer and gyroscope. Improvements have also been made to the Intelligent Tracking Prevention feature and support for the outdated opt-in Do Not Track option has been eliminated.
Apple has updated the "About" screen in the Settings app to more logically display relevant information, and Siri is now able to suggest Today at Apple sessions based on Safari and app usage if you have the Apple Store app installed. You'll also be able to see warranty information right on your device in the Settings app.
In a recent episode of Vergecast, The Verge's Nilay Patel said that iOS 12.2 will bring iPad Pro support to the Logitech Crayon, an alternative to the Apple Pencil and Apple Pencil 2. Following the update, the Logitech Crayon will be compatible with iPad Pro models.
Apple's full release notes for the iOS 12.2 update are listed below, with all new features and included bug fixes:
iOS 12.2 provides support for Apple News+, adds the ability for Siri to play videos from your iOS device to Apple TV, and includes four new Animoji. This update also includes bug fixes and improvements.
Apple News+ - Apple News+ is a new subscription service that extends the Apple News experience with hundreds of magazines and top newspapers Our editors handpick top articles and magazine issues, and you also get personalized recommendations on the topics most interesting to you Automatic downloads make it easy to read magazine issues offline - Apple News is now available in Canada, with a free experience that includes handpicked Top Stories, a personalized Today feed, and support for both English and French - Apple News+ is available in the U.S. and in Canada, with dozens of additional Canadian magazines
Siri - Ask Siri on your iPhone or iPad to play any video, show, movie, sports game, or channel on Apple TV. For example, “Hey Siri, play Free Solo on my TV”
Animoji - Four new Animoji—owl, boar, giraffe and shark—are included for iPhone X and later, iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation) and iPad Pro 11-inch
AirPlay - Dedicated TV controls in Control Center and on the Lock Screen give you quick access to TV controls - AirPlay multitasking for video allows you to browse other apps, as well as play other short form audio and video files locally on your device without interrupting AirPlay - AirPlay destinations are now grouped by content type making it faster for you to find what device you want to play to
Apple Pay - Apple Pay Cash customers can now transfer money to their bank accounts instantly using their Visa debit cards - Wallet app now conveniently displays Apple Pay credit and debit transactions right below the card
Screen Time - Downtime can be configured with a different schedule for each day of the week - A new toggle enables easily turning app limits on or off temporarily
Safari - Website sign-in now occurs automatically after filling credentials with Password AutoFill - Warnings now appear when loading unencrypted webpages - Removes support for the expired Do Not Track standard to prevent potential use as a fingerprinting variable; Intelligent Tracking Prevention now protects against cross-site tracking by default - Smart Search Field queries can now be modified by tapping the arrow icon next to search suggestions
Apple Music - The Browse tab shows more editorial highlights on a single page making it easier to discover new music, playlists, and more
AirPods - Support for new AirPods (2nd generation)
This update also includes other improvements and bug fixes. This update: - Supports Air Quality Index in Maps for US, UK, and India - Includes information in Settings on how much time remains on your device’s warranty period - Supports real-time text (RTT) for phone calls made through a nearby iPhone on iPad and iPod Touch - Displays a "5G E" icon for iPhone 8 and later, iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation) or iPad Pro 11-inch indicating that users are in an area where AT&T’s 5G Evolution network is available - Improves quality of audio recordings in Messages - Improves stability and performance of Apple TV Remote on iOS - Fixes an issue that prevented some missed calls from appearing in Notification Center - Addresses an issue where a badge notification could appear on Settings even though no action is needed - Addresses an issue in Settings > General > iPhone Storage where the storage size of some large apps, the System category, and the Other category in the storage bar graph could be incorrect - Fixes an issue that could cause Voice Memos to automatically play back recordings after connecting to a car Bluetooth device - Resolves an issue that could cause Voice Memos to temporarily prevent renaming a recording
iOS 12.2 could be one of the last significant updates that we see to the iOS 12 operating system as Apple's focus will shift to iOS 13 after the Worldwide Developers Conference, which is set to take place on June 3.
Apple today announced its TV subscription service, Apple TV+, at the Steve Jobs Theater in California. This is the long-rumored service that will host Apple's original television shows and films, and be located within the revamped Apple TV app.
Apple says that Apple TV+ will be the home for "the world's most creative storytellers," and it will feature original TV shows, movies, and documentaries. As we've learned over the past few months, original content partners include Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, J.J. Abrams, Jason Momoa, and more.
“We’re honored that the absolute best lineup of storytellers in the world — both in front of and behind the camera — are coming to Apple TV+,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services.
“We’re thrilled to give viewers a sneak peek of Apple TV+ and cannot wait for them to tune in starting this fall. Apple TV+ will be home to some of the highest quality original storytelling that TV and movie lovers have seen yet.”
Apple says that the service will launch in fall 2019, and that pricing for the subscription service will be announced at that time.
Apple today revealed an all-new and redesigned Apple TV app and a new "Apple TV Channels" feature. The new app is an updated version of the existing TV app, which brings together shows, movies, sports, news, and more in one hub, available on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and later this year on Mac and smart TVs.
The new TV app has a new "For You" section that recommends TV shows just for you, based on what you watch. The app will offer suggestions for shows and movies from over 150 streaming apps, like Hulu, Amazon Prime, DirecTV Now, PlayStation Vue, and more.
Apple TV Channels represent new subscription services that you can sign up for in the TV app, paying only for those that you want. These include CBS All Access, Starz, Showtime, HBO, Nickelodeon, Mubi, The History Channel Vault, Comedy Central Now, and more.
Users will be able to subscribe to Apple TV channels à la carte within the TV app and then watch them there, without having to jump between apps, sign into a new account, or enter another password.
The Apple TV app will also be available on the Mac this fall, and on select smart TVs like Samsung, LG, Sony, and Vizio. It'll also be available on Roku and Amazon devices.
The redesigned Apple TV app will launch on iPad, iPhone, and Apple TV in May.
Apple today announced Apple News+, a revamped subscription-based Apple News service that includes news and in-depth journalism from well-known publishers and exclusive content from popular newsstand magazine brands.
Access to over 300 popular magazines, leading newspapers and digital publishers is included in each Apple News+ subscription, with topics covering everything from entertainment, fashion and news, to politics, health, lifestyle and travel.
Apple News+ subscribers can access current and past issues and individual articles from magazines such as The Atlantic, Better Homes & Gardens, Bon Appétit, Condé Nast Traveler, ELLE, Entertainment Weekly, ESPN The Magazine, Esquire, Food & Wine, Good Housekeeping, GQ, Health, InStyle, Martha Stewart Living, National Geographic, New York Magazine, The New Yorker, O, The Oprah Magazine, Parents, People, Real Simple, Rolling Stone, Runner’s World, Sports Illustrated, TIME, Travel + Leisure, Vanity Fair, Vogue, WIRED and Woman’s Day.
In addition, Apple News+ includes The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times and Toronto Star, Canada’s largest daily newspaper. Apple News+ also provides access to premium online publications such as theSkimm, The Highlight by Vox, New York Magazine’s sites Vulture, The Cut and Grub Street, and Extra Crunch from Verizon Media’s TechCrunch.
As part of the Apple News app, Apple News+ showcases magazines in richly designed layouts, featuring animated covers, vivid photography and bold typography optimized for iPhone, iPad and Mac. In the Today and News+ tabs, subscribers will be presented with individual article and issue recommendations based on both editorial curation and personalized suggestions, all while maintaining user privacy.
The News+ tab is split into a My Magazines section with categories such as Browse the Catalog, Featured, Business & Finance, and Travel, all of which are human curated by Apple News editors. According to Apple, all Apple News users in the US, Canada, UK and Australia can continue to enjoy the free news experience within the app on iPhone, iPad and Mac, including access to Top Stories, Trending Stories and a personalized feed of articles.
Launching today, Apple News+ costs $9.99 a month in the U.S. and $12.99 a month in Canada, where it is available in both English and French. A one-month free trial of the service is also being offered.
Apple today announced Apple Arcade, a new subscription-based games service for mobile, desktop, and the living room, featuring hundreds of titles from top video game publishing houses including Disney, Sega, Lego, Cartoon Network, and Konami.
A subscription to Apple Arcade includes access to over 100 new and exclusive games that can be played both online and offline across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV, and the whole family can play using Family Sharing with one subscription fee.
Apple Arcade will have a dedicated tab on the App Store, and games will be curated by Apple's team of App Store editors. Apple says the emphasis will be on personalized recommendations, and Apple promises that Apple Arcade games cannot collect any data about the user without consent.
All Apple Arcade games will be all-you-can-play experiences, with all features, content, and updates included at no extra charge, and with no ads or in-app purchases necessary.
"The App Store is the world's biggest and most successful game platform. Now we are going to take games even further with Apple Arcade, the first game subscription service for mobile, desktop and the living room," said Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. "We are working with some of the most innovative game developers in the world to create over 100 new and exclusive games to play across iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV. Apple Arcade games will be great for families, respect user privacy and will not have ads or require any additional purchases. We think players of all ages are going to love Apple Arcade."
Apple Arcade will launch in fall 2019 in more than 150 countries across iOS, macOS and tvOS. Apple is asking developers interested in being considered for Apple Arcade to visit developer.apple.com/apple-arcade.
Apple today revealed a brand new service called "Apple Card," a new digital and physical credit card that users will be able to sign up for right from their iPhone. Apple says this sign-up process takes just a few minutes and then they can start using the Apple Card right away in stores, in apps, or online worldwide. Apple partnered with Goldman Sachs and Mastercard for Apple Card.
After spending, Apple Card will give users simple real-time views of their latest transactions and balance in the Wallet app. Apple Card uses machine learning and Apple Maps to label transactions with merchant names and locations. Purchases are then automatically totaled and color coded through categories like Food and Drinks, Shopping and Entertainment, and more.
At the end of each week and month, the Wallet app will show what users spent to help visualize their past finances. The company will also provide 24/7 customer support through Messages.
Anyone who uses Apple Card will receive a percentage of every purchase amount back as "Daily Cash," the card's rewards program. Every time users pay with Apple Card they will receive 2 percent Daily Cash back, and if they make a purchase directly with Apple they'll get 3 percent Daily Cash back. Daily Cash is immediately added to the user's Apple Cash card in the Wallet app, and can be used anywhere Apple Pay is accepted.
Apple Card has no fees associated with it, and the company says that "Apple Card’s goal is to provide interest rates that are among the lowest in the industry and if a customer misses a payment, they will not be charged a penalty rate."
As with Apple's other services, the company promises that Apple Card is completely secure and private.
A unique card number is created on iPhone for Apple Card and stored safely in the device’s Secure Element, a special security chip used by Apple Pay. Every purchase is secure because it is authorized with Face ID or Touch ID and a one-time unique dynamic security code. The unique security and privacy architecture created for Apple Card means Apple doesn’t know where a customer shopped, what they bought or how much they paid.
There will also be a physical Apple Card for shopping at locations where Apple Pay is not accepted. The card is made out of titanium, has no card number, no CVV, no expiration date, and requires no signature.
Apple Card launches in the United States this summer.
Apple's "It's show time" event at the Steve Jobs Theater on the company's Apple Park campus begins at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time (1 p.m. Eastern Time), and following several hardware announcements last week, we're expecting Apple to focus on services today.
The two key services we're expecting to see unveiled today are a news and magazine subscription service and a new streaming television service that will ultimately include not only Apple's own original content but also allow users to easily subscribe to other services such as Starz, Showtime, and perhaps HBO.
Apple may also be planning to unveil several new Apple Pay features, including a rumored Apple-branded credit card issued in partnership with Goldman Sachs. Last-minute rumors have also suggested we could see something about a gaming-related subscription service.
Following the event, we should see the release of iOS 12.2, perhaps adding support for Apple's magazine and news service, as well as bringing Apple News to Canada, new Animoji characters, HomeKit TV support for third-party TVs, and more. Additional updates in the form of macOS 10.14.4, watchOS 5.2, and tvOS 12.2 are likely also coming today.
In addition to Apple's video stream, we will be updating this article with live blog coverage—no need to refresh—and issuing Twitter updates through our @MacRumorsLive account as the keynote unfolds.
Highlights from the event and separate news stories regarding today's announcements will go out through our @MacRumors account.
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Apple's "It's Show Time" event will kick off shortly at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California. The event will see the unveiling of Apple's long-rumored streaming TV service as well as its updated and enhanced Apple News subscription platform. Other potential talking points from the company include additions to Apple Pay and a new gaming service.
Apple Events app on tvOS
To be sure that you don't miss any part of the event, we've put together this helpful guide to outline when it takes place and where you can watch it streaming online. Of course, you can expect MacRumors to provide full live coverage of today's event as well.
Event starting time: 10:00 am Pacific Time / 1:00 pm Eastern Time / 5:00 pm GMT
Watch on web (video): Head to Apple's Events page and stream the event directly from your laptop, desktop, smartphone, or tablet (streaming now supports Firefox and Chrome).
Watch on web (live blog): If you're busy at work or school, you'll be able to rely on MacRumors' live coverage for up-to-the-minute updates from the event by keeping our event live blog open in a nearby window.
Watch on Twitter: You can also follow our @MacRumorsLive Twitter account.
Watch on TV: For anyone at home or near an Apple TV, the Apple Events tvOS app is the best way to watch these events on a big screen. You can use the Siri Remote to voice search "Apple Events app" on the tvOS App Store.
Watch later without spoilers: If you want to avoid spoilers from the event, check out our spoiler-free article where you can find out when Apple's video replay goes live.
Otherwise, we will be posting regularly throughout the event, and you'll be able to find those updates on our front page and our regular @MacRumors Twitter account.
Darkroom for iOS, a popular photo editing app, today received a major update that adds a lot of new functionality to improve the way it interacts with the iPhone and the iPad.
In the Photos app, you will find a new photo editing extension for using Darkroom's tools to edit images without leaving the Photos app. You can tap on the (...) menu when editing an image to get to the Darkroom settings.
A new Share Extension within the Photos app will allow you to choose an "Edit in Darkroom" feature to open up Darkroom from Photos for the full editing experience. There's also a Copy to Darkroom feature that you can use to transfer images from apps like Dropbox or Files over to Darkroom for editing purposes.
On the iPad, Drag & Drop support has been implemented, so you can drag and drop photos into the Darkroom library to start a photo editing session while in Split-View mode on a supported device. You can Drag & Drop a single photo or multiple photos.
When using Darkroom, the Album Picker in the app has been updated to work with the Files app, so you can browse various images that you've stored in files or in third-party storage apps like Dropbox. Imported files are stored in a new Imported Smart Album.
Many other small improvements have been added to Darkroom, including sorting photos by Date Added, Batch tool enhancements on the iPad, better responsiveness, and a change that disables location data by default.
Darkroom can be downloaded from the App Store for free, but unlocking all of the app's tools will cost $9.99. [Direct Link]
Apple's "It's show time" media event will be kicking off at 10:00 AM Pacific / 1:00 PM Eastern today, and some MacRumors readers who can't follow the event live are interested in avoiding all of the announcements and waiting until Apple posts the recorded video of the event so as to experience it without already knowing the outcome.
For those individuals, we've posted this news story, which will be updated with a direct link to the presentation once it becomes available from Apple. No other news stories or announcements will be displayed alongside this story.
Apple has become quicker about making event videos available for replay over the past several years, and videos are now frequently available within an hour of an event's conclusion.
Users waiting for the video to be posted are welcome to gather in the thread associated with this news story, and we ask that those who follow the events refrain from making any posts in the thread about Apple's announcements.
Amazon has kicked off the week with new low prices on Apple's iPad Pro models from 2018, discounting the tablets by as much as $200 off their original prices. Models on sale include the Wi-Fi only versions of the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
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These iPad Pros were updated in 2018 with an edge-to-edge display, Face ID, Apple Pencil 2 support, up to 1TB of storage, an A12X processor, and more. Amazon's sales today represent the lowest price available for each model, and in a few cases Best Buy provides a better discount.
Apple customers who ordered new AirPods last week on the same day they were announced have been receiving shipping notifications over the weekend with delivery dates beginning Tuesday, March 26.
People who ordered the second-generation AirPods on Wednesday as soon as they appeared on Apple's online store were quoted delivery dates between March 26-28. Looking at the AirPods order status thread on the MacRumors forums, some customers in the US are saying they have subsequently been given March 27 as a confirmed ship date, but this seems to depend on which courier they've been assigned.
There are a few scattered reports in the UK of customers receiving Monday delivery dates from some couriers, which means their AirPods could potentially arrive before Apple's "It's Showtime" event, scheduled to take place later today at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time (or 5.00 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time) at the Steve Jobs Theater in Apple Park, Cupertino, California.
However, given that the new AirPods require OS versions that Apple has yet to publicly release, they probably won't be able to use all the new features until later in the day. The second-generation AirPods require iOS 12.2, watchOS 5.2, and macOS Mojave 10.14.4, and Apple is expected to release these updates during or shortly after its services-focused keynote.
Apple's new second-generation AirPods don't have any of the exciting new features that were rumored like a new black color and health updates, but they're a solid upgrade over the previous version.
There's a new H1 wireless chip inside that powers hands-free "Hey Siri" functionality so you don't need to tap to access the voice assistant. The AirPods are also able to switch between devices two times faster when playing music, and there's an extra hour of talk time, bringing total talk time to three hours.
The new Wireless Charging Case allows the AirPods to charge using Qi-based wireless charging accessories, and it perhaps heralds the upcoming launch of the AirPower.
As of today, AirPods shipping time on Apple's online store is listed as 3-5 business days, with a 7-10 day wait for AirPods with Wireless Charging Case. Apple will likely have some stock of the new AirPods models in its retail stores later this week for those who were unable to order and receive a March delivery date.
We've been watching the stream at a glance for around six hours now, over which time we've seen everything from people cleaning the stage to a video of a dancer to an incoming iPhone call from Captain America actor Chris Evans. Marvel fans will be disappointed to hear that Apple missed the call.
Update: NBA star Kevin Durant may be at the Apple Event tomorrow based on the latest teaser of an iMessage conversation with Tim Cook. Apple is working on an original series about Durant's early life for its streaming video service.
Steve Jobs Theater live stream fun continues…@tim_cook: So you're at Apple Park?@KDTrey5: Yeah.
Kevin Durant at the Apple Event tomorrow? Apple ordered a TV series about the NBA star's early life for its streaming video service. pic.twitter.com/ihUB120DFA
— MacRumors.com (@MacRumors) March 24, 2019
As we've heard previously, the report claims Apple plans to unveil the first footage from some of its new original TV shows at the event. Hollywood stars such as actress Reese Witherspoon and director J.J. Abrams have been invited to attend.
The report claims Apple plans to charge a fee for its original content, despite some sources previously saying it would be free to Apple device owners.
Apple's revamped TV app will make it easier to subscribe to networks such as Starz, Showtime and HBO, with which Apple has been "negotiating to offer their shows to users for $9.99 a month each." It's unclear if that means each network will cost $9.99 per month or if each user will pay $9.99 per month total.
Apple is said to be negotiating to bring its new TV app to multiple platforms, including Roku and smart TVs. This could refer to an expansion of the new iTunes movies and TV shows app coming to Samsung's latest smart TVs to other leading TV brands such as Sony and LG and to cheaper brands such as TCL and Sharp via Roku.
Apple is also expected to unveil a revamped News app with an optional premium tier that provides access to more than 200 magazines, including Bon Appétit, People, and Glamour, as well as newspapers such as The Wall Street Journal. The report claims Apple plans to charge $9.99 per month for the service.
The revamped Apple News app is expected to be based on Texture, the magazine subscription service that Apple acquired last year. The report claims The Washington Post and The New York Times are not participating in the service at launch due to disagreements over Apple's alleged 50-50 revenue split.
The report goes on to mention how Apple CEO Tim Cook began holding monthly meetings with Apple's services division around late 2017 as the company aims to grow its revenue from existing subscription offerings such as Apple Music and iCloud storage.
These meetings are said to include "monitoring of apps that benefit and threaten Apple":
For Mr. Cook's monthly services meetings, the company has intensified monitoring of apps that benefit and threaten Apple. The team has created a release radar for the CEO to track apps that are expected to sell well and other metrics for the apps that have challenged Apple's business, including iTunes sales decreases compared with Apple Music subscription growth…
Apple's video and news subscription offerings will certainly help the company expand its service portfolio further, but its exact plans are still clouded in secrecy. In less than 24 hours, we'll have a better understanding.
A previously reported "Netflix for Games" subscription service that Apple has been working on may be shown at the Apple Event scheduled for Monday, March 25.
Bloomberg reports that beyond Apple's news and video services which are expected to debut on Monday, Apple may be ready to unveil a similar gaming service.
Apple is also working on a premium games subscription for its App Store and discussing it with potential partners, according to people with knowledge of the plans. This service won’t take on new cloud-based streaming offerings like Google Stadia. Instead, it will focus on iPhones and iPads and bundle together paid games from different developers that consumers can access for a monthly fee.
The monthly service fee would be divided amongst the games in the service based on how much time is spent in each game. The service would likely focus on paid games rather than the popular free-to-play genre.
Bloomberg isn't certain the service will debut Monday, but Apple has certainly cleared the way for a focus on new services for the event. Earlier this week, Apple quietly debuted new AirPods, iMacs, and iPads.
Japanese blog Mac Otakara posted a new report tonight which indicates that Apple will maintain the Lightning connector on the 2019 iPhones but may finally be including an 18W Fast Charger and USB-C to Lightning cable.
In addition, the next iPhone seems to continue to adopt the Lightning connector, but the charging cable has been changed to the USB-C to Lightning cable, and it seems that the attached power adapter may also be changed to the Apple 18W USB-C power adapter is.
The inclusion would represent an upgrade to the currently shipping 5W USB adapter. The 18W adapter allows fast charging with iPhone X charging from 1 percent to 79 percent in one hour.
This rumor actually contradicts a previous report by the same site which expected Apple to retain the 5W adapter. Mac Otakara also reiterates Ming-Chi Kuo's claim that this year's iPhones will have the ability to wirelessly charge other devices.
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