Apple TV+ Could Soon Offer Augmented Reality Experiences

We’ve known from the time Apple first unveiled Apple TV+ that the company was going to be focusing far more on quality of content than quantity. And while the addition of new shows and movies may seem glacially slow when put up against behemoth streaming rivals like Netflix and Amazon Prime, there’s no doubt that Apple has scored some big content deals that its competitors can’t even match.

Of course, this shouldn’t be surprising for a $2-trillion company. Apple easily has money to burn, and even when it first launched almost a year ago with less than a dozen shows, it had already spent $6 billion in producing them.

By contrast, Netflix has an annual budget of around $15 billion that is allocated across a catalog of over 300 original programs. Meanwhile, Apple easily pays over $15 million to produce a single episode of some of its most popular shows — more than the entire budget for many smaller feature films.

Apple has also shown that it’s easily ready to dig into its deep pockets when it comes to scoring feature films, and it’s paid off in an era of lockdowns, with some hit films making big debuts on Apple TV+.

However, it looks like Apple’s plans for its fledgling streaming service may be even bigger than we originally dreamed of, with the multi-trillion-dollar company ready to branch out into an entirely new frontier of interactive television.

Augmented Reality TV

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple has been working on adding augmented reality content to its Apple TV+ streaming service.

According to the report, the feature that Apple is working on at this stage would essentially be a “second screen” experience whereby viewers could see elements of a TV show on their iPhone or iPad, integrated into the surrounding environment.

By way of example, Gurman describes how someone watching a moon-walking scene in For All Mankind might be able to see a virtual lunar rover “perched atop their living room coffee table.”

As things presently stand, the feature would basically be presented like the bonus content found on many DVDs and Apple’s own iTunes Extra, much like director commentaries and trailers. It’s also expected that users would access it directly through Apple’s TV app on the iPhone and iPad.

However, while Gurman describes this primarily as a way to “attract and retain subscribers” as well as driving interest in the company’s AR projects, it’s not hard to imagine how this is simply Apple’s first small step into what’s likely a much bigger set of ambitions — ones that could potentially revolutionize the way we watch TV and movies.

Don’t forget that Apple is preparing to release its highly-anticipated AR headsets and glasses, the first of which could debut as early as next year, which would bring television-based AR experiences from the second screen directly into a user’s field of view.

The concept would be similar to the 3D television sets that never really took off, but in this case AR would offer a staggering number of new possibilities that would go far beyond just 3D rendering.

Of course, for this to work, Apple has to get the studios that are producing its Apple TV+ content on board, so it makes sense to start small. This is likely an “if you build it, they will come” scenario.

According to Gurman, the AR feature isn’t actually expected to debut until next year; although Apple was originally hoping to be able to show it off this fall, it’s been one of the temporary casualties of the ongoing global health pandemic which forced Apple to choose to prioritize more important projects. It’s also still conceivably possible it may not see the light of day in its current form, as sources noted that Apple could still decide to scrap the plan.

Free Apple TV+ Plans May Continue

Gurman also reports that Apple is considering reintroducing the free Apple TV+ service that it offered last year, although likely with a shorter time frame.

When Apple launched Apple TV+ last fall, it surprised many with the news that it would offer the service free for a whole year with the purchase of basically any new Apple device capable of tuning in, from a MacBook Pro to an iPod touch, and the offer was even available to those who had already started paying for the service.

While the year of free service extends from the time that users first took advantage of the offer, a great many early adopters would have jumped right on in November or December, which means that a lot of the free trials will be coming to an end only weeks after Apple launches this year’s iPhone lineup. As a result, Apple is considering renewing its offer of a free period of service, although possible for a shorter timeframe.

Technically speaking, however, the current offer hasn’t actually ended. If you purchase a brand new Apple device today — even just an iPod touch — you’ll still be able to sign up for a free year of Apple TV+ even now, as long as you do so within 90 days from the time you register your new device with Apple.

The only catch, of course, is that you only get one free year per family, so purchasing multiple devices doesn’t give you more red time, but if you haven’t taken advantage of it before, you can still do so based on your most recent device purchase, regardless of how many new Apple devices you purchased in the past year.

Apple hasn’t said when (or if) it plans to end this offer, so at this point, it’s unclear whether this could involve extending Apple TV+ access beyond the first free year for those who buy another Apple device or whether Apple simply plans to change the terms of the current offer to reduce the timeframe.

[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]