Are You Ready To Fork Out S$6.98 Per Month For Apple TV+?

Apple’s video streaming service, Apple TV+, finally has a launch date: Nov 1, 2019, with new original content from the likes Steven Spielberg, JJ Abrams, Jennifer Aniston and M Night Shyamalan, at $6.98 per month.

Will Apple TV+ give Netflix a run for their money? It’s too early to say. Check back again when Disney launches its video subscription service Disney+ in Asia. (Disney+ will launch in the US on Nov 12, and a week later in Australia and New Zealand.)

Meanwhile, here are a few things you should know about Apple TV+…

1. How much is Apple TV+ going to cost me?

$6.98 per month via the Apple TV app. From Nov 1, there’s a seven-day free trial on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K, Apple TV HD, Apple TV (3rd generation), iPod touch, and Mac. Customers must update to iOS 12.3 or later, tvOS 12.3 or later, and macOS Catalina. Subscription will automatically renew at $6.98 per month at the end of the free trial.

Apple TV+’s monthly subscription rate here is lower than what Netflix ($10.98 for Basic; $13.98 for Standard; and $16.98 for Premium), HBO Go ($13.98), and Fox+ ($19.90 at StarHub; $12.90 at Singtel TV) are charging. Amazon’s Prime Video is going for $2.99 while HOOQ costs $4.90.

2. Good news if you’re buying any iPhone/iPad/Apple TV/iPod touch/Mac today

Starting today (Sept 11), customers who purchase these Apple products can enjoy a year of Apple TV+ for free. Through Family Sharing, up to six family members can share one Apple TV+ subscription. Note: Only one one-year offer is available per family, regardless of the number of devices purchased.

3. Besides Apple devices, where else can you watch Apple TV+ content?

You can also sign up and watch Apple TV+ shows on the web at tv.apple.com. The Apple TV app is also available on select 2018, 2019 and newer Samsung smart TVs, and will come to Amazon Fire TV, LG, Roku, Sony and VIZIO platforms in the future.

4. So what can we watch on Apple TV+?

Apple has reportedly spent US$1 billion (S$1.38 bil) on original content by the likes of Steven Spielberg, JJ Abrams, Reese Witherspoon and Oprah Winfrey. Recent reports said the budget has ballooned to US$6 billion. In contrast, Netflix has set aside US$15 billion on its original programming this year.

Viewers can now watch trailers and add Apple TV+ series and movies to ‘Up Next’ on the Apple TV app, so they can be notified when the first episodes become available. At launch, most Apple TV+ series will premiere with three episodes, with one new ep to roll out each week, while full seasons of some series will be available all at once.

Here are some of the highly-anticipated Apple TV+ shows to look out for come Nov 1: