Apple to Launch Subscription Bundles with New iPhones

Apple plans to unveil a range of subscription bundles alongside its new iPhones this October. Internally, the bundles are referred to as “Apple One.”

That’s not necessarily the name they will launch it under, though.

A number of different tiers will be available. It will start with a basic combo of Apple Music and Apple TV+. 

The more expensive bundles will add Apple Arcade, then Apple News+ at the next tier. Then they will add extra iCloud storage for the tier above that.

Higher-end bundles will also reportedly include an as-yet-unseen fitness subscription which is a service from this company. It will offer virtual classes and workouts accessible via an iOS app and on Apple TV.

It will be similar to services from Nike and Peloton.

Reports say that the bundles will be marketed towards families. They’ll be working with Apple’s Family Sharing system, meaning each service can be accessed by up to six individuals.

 As with other subscription bundles, buying them will be cheaper than buying individual services. 

Additionally, the company plans to start offering new software and hardware combinations. Such as including a free year of Apple Arcade with purchases of an Apple TV streaming box. 

However, reports say the company doesn’t plan to include monthly payment plans for iPhones or Macs with these bundles straight away. It’s a possibility that the CEO Tim Cook has alluded to in the past.

No Specific Pricing yet for each Bundle

In terms of pricing or the exact configuration of each bundle, there are no price specifics just yet. Most possibly, details will change before the bundles are unveiled later this year.

Since at least 2018, there have been reports of the company’s plan to offer subscription bundles. But they seem much more concrete now. 

In July, code was found in iOS 13.5.5 that referred to both a “bundle offer” and “bundle subscription”. Last year, the company experimented with a bundle for students, packaging together Apple Music and Apple TV+.

Apple has been increasingly focused on recurring revenue from its services business in recent years. This is particularly as sales from smartphones plateau. 

Like Amazon Prime, which bundles together faster delivery times alongside streaming music and video, subscriptions can provide regular income. This is while locking customers into a company’s ecosystem. 

Once a person buys Prime, it makes sense to order more from Amazon. That said, Apple’s subscription bundles could do the same for its services and hardware.

Dubbed “Apple One”, the bundles are planned to launch as early as October. It will be alongside the next iPhone line. These bundles are designed to encourage its customers to subscribe to more services, which will generate more recurring revenue.