The new “bundle” of subscription services also raises questions as to whether more iOS-only products are a good thing for consumers, who in recent years have moved away from expensive, often restrictive media and wireless service packages in favor of à la carte, monthly, or non-contractual services. Apple was careful to highlight all of the ways in which it’s giving consumers choice—HBO! Showtime! 300-plus magazines! two Oprah-endorsed documentaries—and touted privacy as a feature of its offerings. But clearly, the company’s push in services is designed to lock more customers into the Apple life.

Apple’s new subscription product for premium news, Apple News+, is the one thing CEO Tim Cook spoke about today that was launched immediately. It exists as a News+ tab within Apple’s current News app and will serve up a variety of magazine, newspaper, and digital-first news content. (Including WIRED; our April 2019 issue appeared in its News+ form during the event.) News+ will cost $10 a month. But no one using a non-Apple device will have access to this service, unlike how it was with Texture, where anyone with the app could access all these mags.

The pricing and exact launch dates of Apple’s other new offerings are still unknown. Apple Arcade, a new ad-free game subscription service for iOS, Mac, and Apple TV, is launching in the fall for an unknown price. Apple TV+, another ad-free subscription pitch, is also due in the fall, but again, for an unknown price. Not even Oprah Winfrey, with all of her on-stage magnetism and gusto for Apple devices, could have willed the information out of Tim Cook.

We know that Apple’s new credit card, the one physical, tangible product that was shown off, will become available sometime this summer. And we know it will be jointly issued by Apple and Goldman Sachs, with MasterCard handling the payment processing. Because Apple is able to integrate hardware with software so tightly, the card comes with sweeteners: Apple is offering 1 to 3 percent cash-back rewards and few penalties on missed payments. And, since Apple likes to emphasize privacy, it says it won’t know what you’re buying and insisted that the controversial investment bank Goldman Sachs won’t sell your data to third parties for marketing purposes

Sourced through Scoop.it from: www.wired.com