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Apple March Event 2019: Apple’s special event on March 25 is expected to unveil a new streaming service that will take on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, along with a revamped version of Apple News with a paid subscription. An Apple gaming subscription service could also be on the cards and could compete with the likes of Steam and Google’s Stadia.
No major hardware announcements are expected at the event, given Apple just announced updates to its iPads, iMac and AirPods earlier this week. Here’s everything we know about Apple’s March 25 event so far.
Apple’s March 25 event will take place at the Steve Jobs Theater in the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. Apple’s keynote will start at 10 am Pacific Standard Time (PST), which is 10.30 pm at night in India. The event will be livestreamed on the Apple website as well.
Those with an Apple device or a Windows 10 device with Edge browser will be able to view the March 25 livestream. If you have an iPad, iPhone, iMac or MacBook or the 6th gen iPod Touch, you can watch the Apple event live on the Safari browser.
Also read: Apple March 25 event date, India time, expectations, products: All you need to know
Just like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple is launching its own streaming service, where it will offer some original content as well. These will be shows exclusive to the Apple streaming service. According to a Bloomberg report, Apple’s new video service will be tied to the TV app, which is pre-installed on Apple devices.
However, Apple’s original content will only roll out towards the end of the year. Apple will also have content from HBO, Starz, and Showtime, according to the Bloomberg report.
It is not clear what the pricing for the Apple video streaming service will be. Reports say Apple could bundle all digital services, news, video, etc into one single subscription pricing as well, just like Amazon Prime works.
Also read | Apple 10.5-inch iPad Air vs 9.7-inch iPad 2018: Specifications, comparison
We will have to wait and see if Apple’s video streaming service will roll out globally in other countries as well, including India or whether it will launch only in the US and select markets first.
In addition to the new video streaming service, Apple will also launch a revamped version of its News app, which will include paid subscription to some content. It has been reported that the Wall Street Journal and Vox have signed up for the paid service, but The New York Times and The Washington Post have not joined in.
The new Apple Service could have a monthly charge of $10, according to Bloomberg, and will release as an update in iOS 12.2. Apple News app will be redesigned in this update and showcase stories, magazine content in the app, which is available on iPhones, iPads and Macs as well.
Also read | Apple is said to sign up Vox site for news subscription service
The News service will be based on Texture, an app that Apple acquired in 2018, which offered users subscription to news magazines, website.
Apple is also reportedly working on a credit card in partnership with Goldman Sachs, and this is currently being tested by employees. The credit card from Apple would be linked to the iPhone and the Apple Pay app. Once again iOS 12.2 update could bring an upgrade to the Wallets app in order to support this.
Also read | New York Times CEO warns publishers ahead of Apple news launch
The focus will be entirely on digital services at Apple’s big event and a new report in Bloomberg says there could be a monthly games subscription service as well, which is revealed during the event. The report adds, Apple’s games subscription will bundle together paid games from different developers, which consumers would be able to access for a monthly fee on their iPhones or iPads. It will not be a cloud-based gaming service like how Google announced with Stadia.
Also read | Apple March 25 event date, India time, expectations, products: All you need to know
This event will be all about services from Apple, which is seen as crucial for the next big revenue growth for the company. With sales of iPhones slowing down, for Apple services will be the area of major focus. At this event, we are unlikely to see any new hardware.
As pointed out, Apple has refreshed the AirPods, iPads and iMac ahead of the event. There have been leaks around the iPod Touch 7th gen, but we will have to wait and see whether that actually makes an appearance on Monday night.
