“AppleFlix”
The fact that Apple is going to launch its new video content service is a given at this point — every single rumour in the past few weeks points to this, and Apple has invited a star-studded case of hollywood personalities like Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and J.J. Abrams to attend the event.
What we don’t yet know is what form the service is going to take. Almost every rumour suggests that it will basically be an extension of Apple’s existing TV app, and will incorporate premium paid services like HBO, Showtime, and Starz, and include Apple’s original content. There are still a lot of questions for Apple to answer, however, with the biggest one being when the service will actually be available.
Most reports already suggest that the company’s original content won’t be coming until later this year, although an announcement this month will be key to putting Apple in a position to start actively promoting its content to compete with an annual fall TV lineup. Further, with Disney expected to launch its own streaming service in the coming weeks, this allows Apple to get ahead of the game (although Disney itself hasn’t ruled out participating in Apple’s service as well).
The lack of any new features found in the iOS 12.2 (and tvOS 12.2) betas related to Apple’s video service could also be further evidence that the actual release won’t come until later on, possibly after iOS 12.3 or even iOS 13 are available.
One thing that is certain, however, is that Apple’s plans for the service are ambitious in the longer term. The company doesn’t even have its first original movie or scripted TV shows finished, and yet it’s already making plans to win Academy Awards and even more Emmys.