Apple's multiple online services have seen a significant price increase. It is rumored that they will release a new model of AirPods next year.
On Wednesday local time, Apple announced monthly price increases for multiple online services.
According to the Zhongtong Finance APP, Apple (AAPL.US) announced on Wednesday local time that it will raise the monthly prices of several online services, including Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and the all-inclusive Apple One subscription service. This decision comes about a year after the last price increase. Considering that other streaming services such as Disney+ and Netflix have recently raised their prices, this decision is not surprising.
It is reported that the monthly fee for Apple TV+ will be increased from $6.99 to $9.99, while Apple Arcade will rise from $4.99 to $6.99 per month. Apple News+ used to cost $9.99 per month, but now it is $12.99.
Due to the price increase of some individual services, Apple's Apple One service bundle will also see corresponding price increases. The individual plan will be raised from $16.95 to $19.95 per month, the family plan will increase from $22.95 to $25.95 per month, and the Premier plan will now cost $37.95 instead of $32.95.
An Apple spokesperson said, "These changes will immediately affect new subscribers and will start to affect existing subscribers on their next renewal date after 30 days."
All of these subscription products are part of Apple's "Services" business. The company's service revenue in the third quarter exceeded $21 billion, second only to the business segment including iPhone sales, and higher than other hardware categories such as Mac or iPad.
In a statement, Apple stated that its subscription services have added more content in recent months. It mentioned that the number of products on Apple Arcade has doubled since 2019, and Apple News+ has added 100 newspapers and magazines since its launch.
In addition to services, there is news that Apple's third-largest business, wearable devices, will be updated and iterated.
According to reports, Apple plans to release several new versions of AirPods next year. The high-end noise-canceling headphones, AirPods Max, which currently retail for $549, may receive updates with USB-C charging ports and new colors. The entry-level AirPods priced at $129 and the mid-range AirPods priced at $169 will be replaced by the "fourth generation" models, which feature a completely new design with a shorter body and noise-canceling capabilities in certain versions.
Furthermore, in September of this year, Apple released the iPhone 15 series phones with USB-C ports and the second-generation AirPods Pro headphones that are compatible with USB-C ports, priced at $249. The AirPods Pro also introduced a new software feature that uses artificial intelligence to automatically reduce noise when the user is speaking, making it easier for users to wear the headphones all day. Apple reported that the sales of its wearable devices, home and accessories product line, including AirPods, reached $41 billion in Apple's fiscal year 2022. This figure also includes the sales of Apple Watch.