Apple TV+, Arcade, and News+ Subscriptions Are Getting a Price Hike in the US, UK

Apple is once again raising the prices of its subscription services, including Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and more. For now, this hike has only gone into effect in the US and select international regions like the UK, where new subscribers will be immediately treated to the new prices. The company didn’t disclose a reason for the price hike, but seeing as it’s set to reveal its fourth-quarter earnings later this week, we can assume Apple plans to bump up revenue numbers in the future. 9to5Mac was the first to report on these price changes, with an Apple statement noting that it will continue to deliver the best content on the platform.

It’s unclear how Apple plans to justify the price increase, albeit Indian customers don’t have to worry about it yet, as monthly subscriptions will cost the same as before. Apple does not have plans to raise its subscription pricing in India as of now. In the US and other affected countries, the Apple TV+ streaming service has gone up from $6.99 (about Rs. 582) per month to $9.99 (about Rs. 832) per month, bringing a range of exclusive content such as the Emmy-winning Ted Lasso, The Morning Show, and more. New subscribers get a week’s worth of free trial, and in India, it’s still priced at Rs. 99 monthly. With this, Apple TV+ has joined the growing list of streaming platforms whose prices have increased this year, including Netflix, Max, and Disney+.

Apple Arcade is also going up in price, jumping from $4.99 (about Rs. 415) to $6.99 (about Rs. 582) per month, offering access to countless video games, all of whose progress syncs up with other Apple devices, so you can play them whenever and wherever you like.

The news aggregator app Apple News+ is another service that’s become costlier, growing from $9.99 (about Rs. 832) to $12.99 (about Rs. 1,018) monthly, populating your feed with news articles and exclusive magazine coverage from world-class publications. The subscription can be easily shared with a family member, and users can even choose to listen to stories, just like an audiobook. New subscribers get a one-month-long trial period, though Apple News+ isn’t available in India yet. At the time of writing, it appears that Apple isn’t changing the prices of its Apple Music or Apple Fitness+ services this time. The company’s last price hike was in October last year, which at the time, included pricing changes for the revered music streaming service.

As the aforementioned individual premium services get a price increase, the collective Apple One bundles are also going up. As the name suggests, it packages four Apple services for a lower monthly price, while offering a bonus 50GB of iCloud+ storage. The monthly Individual plan has risen from $16.95 (about Rs. 1,410) to $19.95 (about Rs. 1,660) and comprises Apple TV+, Apple Music, and Apple Arcade, in addition to the aforementioned cloud storage. In India, this service costs Rs. 195 per month. There’s also an Apple One Family plan, which can be shared among five members — benefits are the same, but it comes with an upgraded 200GB of iCloud+ storage. It’s gone up from $22.95 (about Rs. 1,910) to $25.95 (about Rs. 2,160) in the US, whereas in India, it still costs Rs. 365 per month.

And finally, there’s the Apple One Premier plan, which adds Apple Fitness+ and Apple News+ to the package, alongside a 2TB of iCloud+ storage option. It now costs $37.95 (about Rs. 3,160), instead of the older $32.95 (about Rs. Rs. 2,745) price tag. Bear in mind that any subscription you don’t already have will be free for the first month. Existing members in eligible regions will see the above-mentioned price hike ‘30 days later,’ on their next renewal date.