Apple TV+ is now live. The iPhone maker's new streaming service is now available in more than 100 countries worldwide. In India, it costs Rs. 99 per month, for you and five family members, after a one-week free trial. (If you bought an Apple device recently, you might be eligible for a one-year free subscription.) Unlike the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, which it's trying to go up against up globally, Apple TV+ only offers original content produced by Apple. That results in a paltry library comprised of less than 10 shows at launch, involving the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Battlestar Galactica creator Ronald D. Moore, Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, and Hailee Steinfeld.
For what it's worth, Apple is going big with its originals. It has reportedly spent $300 million (about Rs. 2,131 crores) on two seasons of Aniston-led newsroom drama The Morning Show — which also stars Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carell — and $240 million (about Rs. 1,705 crores) on two seasons of Knight-created Jason Momoa-starrer post-apocalyptic sci-fi drama See. In total, Apple has reportedly forked over $6 billion (about Rs. 42,635 crores) on Apple TV+ content as yet, still a far cry from what Netflix ($15 billion) and Amazon Prime Video ($7 billion) are investing each year. Beyond those two aforementioned shows, there's the Steinfeld-starrer historical coming-of-age comedy Dickinson, and Moore's alt-history sci-fi For All Mankind, starring Joel Kinnaman.
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There's a few family- and kids-oriented shows and films at launch as well, in the animated spin-off Snoopy in Space, the nature documentary The Elephant Queen, the educational Helpsters, and the mystery reboot Ghostwriter. And oh, lastly, Oprah is bringing her “Book Club” to Apple TV+, which will air a new episode every two months, giving you plenty of time to read the book that's discussed.
While there's a long list of Apple originals in development, a few of them have release dates in M. Night Shyamalan's psychological thriller Servant, out November 28; the Octavia Spencer, Aaron Paul, and Lizzy Caplan-starrer legal drama Truth Be Told on December 6; the Minhal Baig-directed Muslim coming-of-age movie Hala sometime in December; and the Samuel L. Jackson, Anthony Mackie-starrer drama The Banker out January 31, 2020.
The one-year free Apple TV+ subscription is available to anyone who bought a new iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, or Apple TV after September 10. If you're wondering how you can avail it, we have you covered. Students who aren't part of an Apple family don't have to fork over Rs. 99 per month, as Apple is bundling Apple TV+ with the Apple Music student plan, which costs just Rs. 49 per month in India.
Apple TV+ can be accessed on Apple devices like iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, Apple TV, and Mac using the Apple TV app. Additionally, the Apple TV app is also available on Fire TV Stick, as well as select smart TV and streaming boxes. And lastly, viewers can stream Apple TV+ shows via tv.apple.com in browsers such as Safari, Firefox, and Chrome. Apple has yet to announce apps for Android, Android TV, PS4, Xbox One, and other smart devices.
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