Tag: icloud

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.

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iOS 16.3, iPadOS 16.3 Update Rolling Out With End-to-End iCloud Encryption, Security Keys Support: Details

iOS 16.3 and iPadOS 16.3 updates have begun rolling out for eligible iPhone and iPad models. The stable updates to iOS 16.3, iPadOS 16.3 come 4 months after the first iOS 16 update was released by the Cupertino, California-based tech giant. Apple’s recent smartphones will now support Advanced Data Protection, which adds support for end-to-end encryption on iCloud. The update also adds support for security keys, which means Apple devices now support physical security keys for two-factor authentication. The update also brings other bug fixes, performance enhancements, and introduces support for Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) on supported iPhone models.

According to Apple’s changelog announcing the stable iOS 16.3 update, users on iPhone 8 and newer models can now enable Advanced Data Protection on their iCloud accounts, which will protect data from apps like Messages, Photos, and Safari. Meanwhile, the latest iOS 16.3, and iPadOS 16.3 updates also introduce support for the use of physical security keys for two-factor authentication while signing into an Apple ID, for added security.

As part of the latest iOS 16.3, Apple has also introduced support for the new HomePod (2nd Gen) that allows for easy pairing, and music transfer between iPhone devices and the Apple HomePod (2nd Gen).

Meanwhile, the Emergency SOS call mechanism has also been updated on iOS 16.3, with the user now required to release their hold on the power and volume toggle buttons to trigger an emergency SOS call. The update also fixes an issue with the FreeForm app where drawing strokes created with Apple Pencil or hand were not appearing on shared boards.

The update also fixes bugs that caused lock screen blackouts, horizontal lines on waking up iPhone 14 Pro Max, the Home lock screen widget not displaying the Home app status correctly, and Siri not responding to music requests, according to the company.

Apple has also introduced a new Unity wallpaper that the company had announced earlier as part of its celebration for Black History Month in the US in February, as part of the iOS 16.3 update.

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iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2 Updates Rolled out with Apple Music Sing, Freeform App; iPhone Gets 5G Support in India

Apple iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 software updates are now available and rolling out for compatible iPhone and iPad devices. This comes after a period of beta testing, which introduced new features along with a host of patches that address over a dozen security issues on the devices. The stable iOS 16.2 and the iPadOS 16.2 software updates will notably bring the Apple Music Sing feature, the Freeform collaboration app, and Apple’s Advanced Data Protection, which adds end-to-end encryption to multiple iCloud services. The new update also enables 5G network support on compatible iPhones for users in India.

The iOS and iPadOS 16.2 update bring the new Freeform app to Apple devices. According to the Cupertino-based tech giant, the app will let users organise their work or creative projects on a single whiteboard to share and collaborate with other people. Freeform will also allow users to add files and work with others while on a FaceTime call.

Additionally, the Apple Music Sing feature is also available to Apple Music subscribers on compatible devices, adding a karaoke-like singalong ability for select tracks in the Apple Music app. The iOS 16.2 update also introduces Advanced Data Protection, bringing end-to-end encryption to iCloud backups, photos, and more.

For Apple users in India, the new update will notably add 5G network support for iPhone users. 5G capability is available on iPhone 12 and newer models, but a software update was needed to enable the advanced connectivity in India after Airtel and Jio rolled out 5G services recently.

The new update now enables 5G connectivity for users on Jio and Airtel networks. These feature updates were all rolled out to beta testers as part of the iOS 16.2 RC update last week.

On top of the features, the update also includes multiple security patches that fix known vulnerabilities on Apple devices. The patches address security issues with Accounts, iTunes Store, Photos, Safari, and Weather apps, among others. According to a 9to5Mac report, the 16.2 update also includes Rapid Security Response, which brings security patches to iOS without needing to update to a new version of the OS itself. The report further adds that the security patches are also coming to iOS 15 users who haven’t or cannot update to iOS 16.

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