Apple TV+ launched early Friday morning, but it's already got a lot wrong. With Apple aiming to compete with Netflix, Disney, Hulu and Amazon (just to name a few), Apple TV+ is the latest combatant in the streaming wars, but it hasn't had the strongest start.
Apple TV+ went live on November 1. The service offers a free year to any customer who has purchased an iPhone, iPad, Apple TV box or Mac since September 1, and will cost everyone else $4.99 a month. This approach should provide ease of access to the hundreds of millions of Apple s around the world (making the subscription a no-brainer for them). According to Apple, the steaming service is available in over 100 countries. While the tech giant will benefit from this d affordability and Apple customer bias, that’s really all it has going for it.
Apple TV+’s limited library only contains TV series and movies made by Apple; its slate of only nine shows includes customers otherwise unfamiliar with it, and some Apple TV owners have even been experiencing repeated crashing when browsing in the app.
Apple TV+'s slim selection of content will gradually grow; Amazing Stories reboot is in the works as well. However, the service’s unimpressive library almost negates its availability worldwide and cheap price. Disney + is set to launch in two weeks fully loaded with big-name franchises (Marvel, Star Wars and Pixar), nostalgia, hundreds of movies and television shows for only $7 a month. Disney's already proven content only adds to its overshadowing of Apple TV+, with the former's launch not having happened but already more impressive than Apple's. Unless Apple produces an assembly line of masterpieces, they might be at risk of meeting a fate similar to that of PlayStation Vue.
Netflix has set the standard for streaming with 150+ million global subscribers at (now) $16 a month. It should come as no surprise that Apple has spent way more money promoting the new iPhone than Apple TV+. The conglomerate has thrown their hat into the ring of battling streaming services and hoping for the best, without banking on it. Apple TV+ is clearly trying to stumble upon a handful of shows the caliber of a Game of Thrones. If that doesn’t happen, the service’s unfamiliar interface and small library will be its downfall. Investing in top-tier filmmakers and attaching year-long subscription gimmicks to the service won’t be enough to keep it alive.
