The world of streaming just got a lot more interesting with the launch of Apple TV+.
With a star-studded lineup of original content, innovative features, and a sleek interface, it’s no wonder that Apple’s foray into the streaming market has caused quite a stir. But does Apple TV+ live up to the hype?
From award-winning original content to the latest blockbuster movies, we take a closer look at everything that Apple TV+ has to offer.
Discover how this game-changing platform is redefining the world of streaming with its top-notch features and unparalleled user experience. So grab your popcorn and settle in – it’s time to see what all the fuss is about. Apple TV+ review is out for you!
Apple TV+
The tech giant’s video streaming service, Apple TV Plus, is just one of many in a crowded market competing for customers’ attention.
Even though Apple’s monthly fee was only $4.99 (a third of what Netflix now charges to stream in 4K), the service was met with mixed reviews when it debuted in November 2019.
Apple TV+’s original programming, created by Apple Studios, is one of the service’s most appealing aspects.
The platform features a wide variety of programming, from serious dramas to comedies and documentaries for kids. Shows like “Ted Lasso,” “The Morning Show,” “See,” and “For All Mankind” are among Apple TV+’s most-watched original productions.
Those complaints about Apple TV Plus no longer holding water 2.5 years after its release. It’s developed into a reliable video streaming service with a wide selection of movies and TV shows and a consistent track record of high quality. Should you finally join Apple TV+ now?
Comparison
In terms of price, Apple TV+ is among the best.
The platform offers the longest free trial of any listed services when you buy an Apple product (only seven days without a device purchase), and the basic membership costs the same as Hulu’s.
Apple TV+ is unrivaled in price, even if it isn’t included in any offers or bundles like Disney+, ESPN, and Hulu.
This low price, however, comes at the sacrifice of a comprehensive collection of information. Unlike Hulu, Disney Plus, and Netflix, Apple TV+ mostly features its unique programming.
However, the Emmy-winning Ted Lasso and the top Oscar-nominated CODA are unavailable on those services. Notably, a recent IMDB study ranked Apple TV+ as having the highest quality 4K streaming available.
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Price and Availability
Apple TV Plus is $4.99 / £4.99 / €4.99/ CAD$4.99 / AU$7.99 per month. Comparatively, that’s less expensive than Disney Plus, Amazon Prime, and Netflix.
Get free three months of Apple TV Plus with a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, or iPod Touch (within 90 days of activation) and save money on various Apple services with an Apple One subscription starting at $14.99 per month.
Tips:
You should know more details before signing up for Apple TV+. For one, the service supports a family plan where up to five people can use it together while maintaining separate profiles and preferences.
You won’t have to monitor what your children or other family members under your care are watching because the service allows you to set content restrictions per user profile.
Apple TV+ Features
You can download videos without an internet connection, and your subscription will allow you to watch six videos simultaneously. The TV app syncs between devices, allowing you to pick up where you left off regardless of whatever device you used.
While Apple TV+ subscription profiles do not exist, individual Apple TV accounts can be added to the app.
If you want separate accounts and customization options for everyone in your family, a Family Sharing plan is the way to go. Any account that needs restrictions can have parental controls set up.
The criticism that there wasn’t enough to watch at launch, even though both Netflix and Prime Video offered less at their respective openings, and that this was a service investing in original material rather than licensing it seemed unfair.
The original lineup for Apple TV Plus included the documentaries The Elephant Queen and Dickinson, and the original shows Helpers, For All Mankind, Oprah’s Book Club, Ghostwriter, Snoopy in Space, See, and The Morning Show.
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Sports fans can rejoice; Apple has not been left out of the action, having recently acquired the rights to Friday Night Baseball.
Apple TV+ features a wide variety of original programming created by Apple Studios. High-budget comedies, documentaries, and children’s shows are all available on the platform, giving users access to various programming options.
In contrast to traditional television, commercial interruptions are not a part of the Apple TV+ experience.
Apple TV+ is compatible with a wide variety of platforms and devices. This includes the iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, and even some smart TVs. A subscriber’s preferred media can be seen on any connected device.
With Apple TV+, subscribers can easily watch their favorite episodes and movies anywhere, anytime, without an internet connection, thanks to its offline viewing capabilities.
Only about thirty movies, documentaries, and specials are available to borrow from the library. It became the first streaming service to win Best Picture for its film Coda.
Apple TV+, in contrast to Netflix, has fewer critical hits like Uncut Gems, Marriage Story, and The Irishman, but it is on par with Netflix’s Originals regarding production quality.
TV Plus’s biggest shortcoming is a lack of conversation-starting shows like The Boys and All or Nothing on Prime Video, Game of Thrones, House of Cards, and Disney Plus’s The Mandalorian around the water cooler.
Despite Ted Lasso’s popularity, the service has not yet been widely known. Someone will always say, “I don’t have Apple TV,” when a How to Watch article discusses a show or movie available on Apple TV+. That’s what Apple needs to adjust right away.
Top 10 Apple TV+ Content
Here are ten of the top-rated and most popular original content available on Apple TV+:
- Ted Lasso – A heartwarming comedy series about an American football coach who moves to the UK to coach a struggling soccer team.
- The Morning Show – A drama series starring Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Steve Carell explores the cut-throat world of morning news television.
- See – A dystopian science fiction series set in a future where the human race has lost the ability to see.
- For All Mankind – A science fiction drama series that explores an alternate history where the USSR beats the US to the moon.
- Dickinson – A comedic drama series that reimagines the life of poet Emily Dickinson in a modern-day setting.
- Mythic Quest – A comedy series set in a video game development studio starring Rob McElhenney and Charlotte Nicdao.
- Central Park – An animated musical comedy series about a family who lives in Central Park, featuring the voices of Josh Gad, Kristen Bell, and Stanley Tucci.
- Servant – A psychological horror series about a couple who hires a nanny to care for their reborn doll after their baby dies.
- Little America – An anthology series that tells the stories of immigrants in America.
- Oprah’s Book Club – A talk show hosted by Oprah Winfrey, where she discusses various books with authors and celebrities.
These are just a few standout shows on Apple TV+, and the platform continues adding new and exciting original content to its library.
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Apple TV+ Supported Devices
Apple’s website details the various gadgets compatible with Apple TV+. Here are some of them:
- iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch running iOS 12.3 or later
- Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD running tvOS 12.3 or later
- Mac computers running macOS Catalina or later
- Selected Samsung, LG, Sony, and Vizio smart TVs released in 2018 or later
- Amazon Fire TV devices, including Fire TV Stick 4K, Fire TV Cube, and Fire TV Edition Smart TVs
- Roku devices, including Roku Ultra, Roku Premiere, Roku Streaming Stick+, and Roku TV
- PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, including PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X/S
- Some streaming devices that support AirPlay 2, such as the Chromecast with Google TV and select Roku and Amazon Fire TV models.
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Should You Buy Apple TV+?
It is a YES because of its outstanding production values.
Almost all of Apple TV+’s original content is presented in Dolby Vision + Atmos, making it one of the greatest streaming services in visual and sound quality. It would be difficult to discover a service with worse visual quality than this one.
It is a NO if you seek franchises.
Apple TV+ is betting on original content without blockbuster franchises like Star Wars, Marvel, Lord of the Rings, or Game of Thrones. It also means it’s not as mainstream as the other services because it has fewer “water cooler” shows.
Apple TV+ Review – Final Verdict
Like a well-aged wine, Apple TV+ only gets better with time. In the same vein as Paramount+, it is not a service with a massive catalog of movies and TV shows like Netflix or Prime Video.
A boutique offering focused on high-quality productions, TV+ is more of a complement to one of the larger services like Disney+ than a direct competitor.
It now has a broader assortment of products, albeit the movies available are of low quality and the emphasis is placed on television shows.
And the shows are great, even if there aren’t many blockbuster hits with crossover appeal (Ted Lasso being the most obvious candidate so far).
The improvements in content, layout, and regularity of content drops push Apple TV+ into the recommended category; nevertheless, there is still some way to go before it reaches top-tier classification.
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