Apple today launched a new offer that provides owners of the second-generation AirPods, AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, and select Beats products with a six-month free subscription to Apple Music.
The offer is only valid for new Apple Music subscribers, and no new purchase is required, so this is open to any users who currently own an eligible product. Eligible products include the second-generation AirPods (with wired or wireless case), AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, Beats Studio Buds, Powerbeats, Powerbeats Pro, and Beats Solo Pro. Eligible users will see a prompt in the Apple Music app for their six-month free offer.
The offer must be claimed within 90 days from when users first connect their eligible AirPods or Beats product to an Apple device after September 20 to take up the offer.
Apple emphasizes that customers must be on the latest iOS and iPadOS versions to see the offer, which as of yesterday, is iOS and iPadOS 15. The new offer is a notable package from Apple, as it's not often the company has bundled the purchase of its AirPods or Beats products with its Apple Music service.
Update: This article has been updated to clarify that no new purchase of an AirPods or Beats product is required. Customers who previously purchased an eligible product are also able to take advantage of the offer.
I’m not a fan of this kind of offer. 6 months isn’t a trial, it’s a substantial value. But only being available to new customers means it’s an effective price increase, or value decrease, for older customers. Reminds me of dodgy mobile phone companies who say screw our loyal customers here’s improved rates but only for new customers. Not a good look IMO.
Wait! What? How is Apple Music price increase? or value decrease? You can't play a song you used to play?
Because Apple Music 6 months is not free. The service cost is bundled with the hardware cost. Existing customers are now paying for Apple Music both as part of their subscription and as part of a hardware purchase.
YAPS (yet another pointless subscription) pushed down our throats by what can only be considered as unsolicited and annoying spam. If I was even remotely interested in wasting my money on subscriptions for utterly useless and worthless services I would have already done so. I hate how Apple keeps pushing its inferior services down our throats at every occasion. Keep your Music+, your AppleTV +, your iCloud+, and all your Junk+ services to yourself thank you.
Wait! What? How is Apple Music price increase? or value decrease? You can't play a song you used to play?
In terms of the ecosystem cost. They did a similar thing with Apple TV, 1 free year of TV+ when it was new, now no TV+. On the other hand at least TV+ subscriptions would stack not just lock out people who already had a trial.
The next step along this path would be Apple offering something like 1TB of free iCloud for a year for new iPhone users, but nothing if you’ve had an iPhone before. Again not technically a price increase but a clear value discrimination for different customers paying the same price.
For anyone interested, I had subbed to Apple Music about 3 years ago. When I logged in, I was offered two months to come back. This is despite having two eligible devices in the list. So it's for new subscribers only, not returning customers.
I was interested to try the spatial audio features.
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The next step along this path would be Apple offering something like 1TB of free iCloud for a year for new iPhone users, but nothing if you’ve had an iPhone before. Again not technically a price increase but a clear value discrimination for different customers paying the same price.
I was interested to try the spatial audio features.