With consumers sticking with their iPhones longer, Apple has increasingly turned to digital services to increase revenue. Now comes word those services could soon be available through a slightly discounted series of bundles under the possible banner, Apple One. For anyone tired of paying multiple bills each month for a variety of services, this makes sense, but only if Apple does it right.
According to Bloomberg, Apple One will "let customers subscribe to several of the company's digital services at a lower monthly price." The bundles are likely to launch this fall at the same time the iPhone 12 lineup is announced.
Apple offers four streaming services:
- Apple News+, $10 per month, access for up to six family members included
- Apple Arcade, $5 per month, with up to six family members
- Apple Music, $10 per month or $15 for up to six family members
- Apple TV+, $5 for up to six family members
The company also offers two family-based iCloud storage plans; the least expensive is $2.99 per month and includes 200GB of storage, while the bigger one includes 2TB for $9.99 per month.
If you subscribe to all four entertainment subscription services as a family, the cost is $35 per month, plus the cost of iCloud storage.
Back in June, I suggested the perfect Apple bundle would include all of the services mentioned above with two important changes:
- Eliminate the Apple Music family plan and instead offer Apple Music for $10/month for up to six family members.
- Remove the 200GB iCloud storage plan and replace it with a 1TB plan at $5/month.
Under this scenario, the cost of these plans purchased separately would be $35 per month. Together, Apple would be wise to charge $20/month for all four entertainment packages plus 1TB of iCloud storage for a savings of $15 per month. To lower the price of the bundle further, I also suggested Apple News+ could be removed and offered as a $5 add-on. Under this scenerio, the bundle price drops to $15 per month.
The tiered plans Bloomberg believes Apple is working on are somewhat similiar to what I envisioned. Unfortunately, the possible savings are much lower. According to the publication, there could be three Apple One options. A basic plan could include Apple Music and Apple TV+, while a mid-priced option would throw in Apple Arcade. A premium option would also include Apple News+ and extra iCloud storage.
The savings? "The offerings are designed to save consumers about $2 to upwards of $5 a month, depending on the package chosen," according to Bloomberg.
Say what?
More is needed, Apple
Bundling services better guarantees Apple a continuous revenue stream, which is the No. 1 reason companies create bundles in the first place. It's why Disney, for example, offers a three-in-one bundle with a modest discount that includes Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+, and why services like HBO Max provide content from various providers. And yet, in these challenging times, Apple might need to do more than throw customers a modest bone to find success with Apple One.
First, I wish Apple would finally find a way to not charge families for the use of iCloud storage, or at least significantly bump up the specs for the free plan to something much better than the underwhelming 5GB per person it currently provides. Slice off a few more dollars per month and Apple could be onto something.
We'll find out Apple's plans soon enough. Due to the pandemic, Apple probably won't announce new iPhones until October or November. Typically, the big announcement arrives in September. Expect Apple One to drop around the same time.
What do you want?
Do you have the perfect Apple bundle in mind? Let us know in the comments below.
