Apple enters the entertainment and game subscription arena, writes Izwan Ismail
THE ambience at the Steve Jobs Theatre area on the morning of the Apple Special Event recently was welcoming.
Press members were cheerfully greeted — from the entrance of Apple Park until the glass-walled theatre which sits on top of a hill.
The theatre is a subterranean structure where only the glass structure and roof are visible while 90 per cent of the building sits under the surface.
The weather was gorgeous with the California sun shining, blue skies and a moderate temperature of 23 degrees Celsius.
It’s typical of Apple to keep things simple even for its major phone launch which happens only once a year in the second week of September.
Unlike most big vendors who splash out on their major event venue with big banners, advertisements and photos of the new products, Apple is just the opposite. There were no banners or promotional material at the venue.
Everything about the new products was kept from the Press until CEO Tim Cook made the announcement.
There were speculation and rumours about the new iPhones and other products on the Internet prior to the launch but nobody knew exactly how they would look like and their specifications.
Apple is really good at keeping the suspense high about its new iPhones and other products, such as Apple Watch, iPad and related services, until the launch.
While waiting for the theatre door to open in a venue located below the largest glass-supported structure in the world, the Press enjoyed the view of the Apple campus while sipping coffee or juice, as well as eating light snacks.
SHOWTIME
Around 9.45am, the Press were ushered down via the curved Castagna stone staircases to the entrance of the 1,000-seat theatre.
There was a product demo area on the same floor just opposite the theatre but it was covered until the presentations ended.
At 10am sharp, with the Press and VIP guests seated, a short video on how Apple products have evolved over time was shown.
“Give people wonderful tools, and they’ll do wonderful things”, was the message of that cool video.
Cook then went on stage in his signature dark outfit.
“Products and technologies that are designed in the service of humanity is what Apple makes,” said Cook.
“So we have a huge morning planned for you, with some truly big announcements,” he added.
He didn’t start with the new iPhones but with the subscription service products from Apple, namely, Apple Arcade and Apple TV+.
This probably signalled that the subscription service, which was first announced in March this year, could be Apple’s next big revenue source.
GAMES GALORE
Apple’s new subscription service may be a disruptor in how people consume entertainment, from streaming movies and TV series to computer games.
Instead of buying individual games, for example, Apple Arcade offers unlimited access to the entire catalogue of over 100 new, exclusive games playable on the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac and Apple TV.
Apple Arcade will be priced at RM19.90 per month with iOS 13, offering a new way to enjoy games without limits. It has been available since Sept 19.
Apple is offering a one-month free trial, and users will not find the games on any other mobile platform or subscription service.
Apple Arcade games can all be played offline, and a single subscription includes access for up to six family members with Family Sharing.
The catalogue will exceed 100 games in the coming weeks as new titles are introduced. For iPadOS and tvOS 13, the service will be available from Sept 30, and in October on macOS Catalina.
Apple Arcade will feature games from genres such as action, adventure, party and puzzle, and some of the titles debuting on the platform include Ballistic Baseball from Gameloft, ChuChu Rocket! Universe, Exit the Gungeon from Devolver, Overland from Finji, Pac-Man Party Royale from Bandai Namco, Projection: First Light from Blowfish and Rayman Mini from Ubisoft.
APPLE TV+
Besides the Apple Arcade, another subscription service that is expected to disrupt the streaming content market is Apple TV+.
Cook was on stage to introduce the service. “Next up, let’s talk about Apple TV+. It’s the company’s first all-original video subscription service and home for today’s most imaginative storytellers will be available from Nov 1 in over 100 countries and regions,” he said.
Apple TV+ will offer a powerful and inspiring line-up of original shows, movies and documentaries, including The Morning Show, Dickinson, See, For All Mankind and The Elephant Queen.
The service will be available on the Apple TV app on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iPod touch, Mac and other platforms, including online at tv.apple.com/my, at RM19.90 per month with a seven-day free trial.
“With Apple TV+, we are presenting original stories from the best, brightest and most creative minds, and we know viewers will find their new favourite show or movie on our service,” said Zack Van Amburg, Apple’s head of Worldwide Video.
“Each Apple TV+ original offers its own unique story, fresh perspective and powerful message — all meant to entertain, connect and inspire cultural conversations,” he added.
“Apple TV+ is an unprecedented global video service with an all-original slate,” said Jamie Erlicht, who is also Apple’s head of Worldwide Video.
“We look forward to giving audiences everywhere the opportunity to enjoy these compelling stories within a rich, personalised experience on all the screens they love,” he added.
ENTER NEW IPHONES
This year, Apple offers three new iPhone models — iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max.
“iPhone has 99 per cent customer satisfaction,” said Cook, adding that the iPhone 11 series are the most powerful and advanced iPhones ever in a stunning new design.
All three versions of the phones are powered by Apple’s new A13 Bionic chip and iOS 13,designed to perform the most demanding tasks.
Cook also introduced Phil Schiller, Apple’ senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, to talk more about the new iPhones.
“The iPhone 11 is the next generation of iPhone, packed with great new capabilities in an incredible design, including new Ultra Wide and Wide cameras for gorgeous videos and photos, the power and ease of use of iOS 13, and A13 Bionic - the fastest chip in a smartphone that handles the tasks that matter most to people every day,” said Schiller.
“With tight integration between hardware, software and services, the advancements in iPhone 11 bring an unparallelled user experience at an affordable price to even more customers. We think people will love it,” he said.
The phones provide a pro-level camera experience, delivering huge improvements to low-light photography and the highest quality videos in a smartphone.
The iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max are priced at RM3,399, RM4,899 and RM5,299 respectively.
Capacity-wise, the iPhone 11 will be available in 64GB, 125Gb and 256GB capacity, while the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max will come in 64GB, 256GB and 512GB versions. All models will be available in Malaysia here from Friday.
BETTER WATCH
Apple Watch gets better in Series 5.
Cook went to the stage again to give a brief story on how the watch has been a great tool in people’s life.
“A lot of people saying they got notifications about elevated heart rates. One person fell, and the watch automatically called 911 and his wife.
Another woman had an emergency C-section, while a man says it led to a surgery that staved off a heart attack,” he said.
Besides that, a lot of people got fit because the Apple Watch pushed them to exercise.
“Apple is very proud of how the Watch has helped people’s health, a very clear focus for the device over the past few years,” said Cook.
While the design may look the same as the Series 4, the new version debuts an Always-On Retina to make it easy to tell the time and other important information without tapping the display.
There are also new location features, from a built-in compass to current elevation to help users better navigate their day. International emergency calling allows calls to emergency services directly from Apple Watch in over 150 countries, even without the iPhone nearby.
“Apple Watch has had a meaningful impact on lives and we’re excited to deliver even more capabilities with Apple Watch Series 5 and watchOS 6,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer.
“The seamless integration of new hardware and software delivers an enhanced experience that makes it even easier to stay active and connected to the people and information users care about.”
The Apple Watch Series 5 (GPS) prices start from RM1,749 and will be available soon.
POPULAR IPAD
“The new iPad packs even more value into our most popular and affordable iPad model, featuring a bigger 10.2-inch Retina display, support for Apple Pencil and, for the first time, the full-size Smart Keyboard,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice-president of product marketing.
“The new iPad was built to run iPadOS, which introduces powerful new ways to multitask, manage and mark up documents, use Apple Pencil and view more information at a glance on a redesigned Home screen.
“This new iPad with iPadOS takes everything people love about our most popular iPad and makes it even better for creating, learning, working and playing.”
Designed to be ultra-portable and durable, the new iPad weighs 455g and, for the first time, features an enclosure made from 100 per cent recycled aluminium with the same strength, durability and beautiful finish as the aluminium in all Apple products.
The new iPad will be available in stores from Sept 30 at RM1,449.
EXPERIENCE SESSION
The product announcements and presentation ended within two hours. Soon after that, the media got the chance to try out all the products announced.