Technology
Apple is reportedly planning a March event that won’t feature new iPads or AirPods


Image: kevin frayer/ Getty Images
Apple isn’t selling as many iPhones anymore, so the company is looking for new ways to make money off its software.
Now, it looks like we’ll soon get an up-close look at a key part of those plans. Apple is planning to hold one of its signature flashy events at its headquarters on March 25, when it will show off at two new product offerings, according to a new report from BuzzFeed.
Unlike other spring events, which tend to feature new iPads, BuzzFeed attests the event will be “subscription services focused” and that new iPads and AirPods are “unlikely.” Instead, Apple will reveal two new, long-rumored subscription services: one for news and for streaming video.
Separately, the Wall Street Journal also published a lengthy report on the upcoming news product it says is like “Netflix for news.” Some of Apple’s potential publishing partners, they say, have balked at the Cupertino company’s terms, which include 50 percent cut on subscription revenue. Publishers, in turn, would divide the other 50 percent among themselves based on engagement. By comparison, Apple’s cut from its developers in its App Store is 30 percent.
At the same time, Apple would limit the amount of subscriber data individual publishers could access, according to WSJ.
But whatever reservations some publishers have, it appears Apple is plowing ahead with the plan and will likely show off the service at next month’s event. BuzzFeed says there’s a “small chance” the timing could change. The event would be almost exactly a year since Apple announced it was acquiring digital magazine subscription service Texture. Apple News has been growing, the app now has 85 million monthly active users the company revealed last month, but a Netflix-like subscription product could help boost profits.
Outside of news, Apple is also expected to show off its long awaited streaming video service, according to BuzzFeed. The service would feature original content and would also let users subscribe to other channels, according to previous reports. It could debut as soon as April.
It’s not clear if Apple will show off any new hardware at the event, as BuzzFeed reports new iPads and AirPods are “unlikely.” If Apple were to show off a new product, it’d likely be something to complement its new services, such as the Chromecast-like TV dongle reported by The Information last November.
It might seem out of character for Apple to give new subscription services the same flashy treatment as its typically over-the-top product reveals. But with Apple no longer selling iPhones at the same rate in years past, analysts have predicted the company will need to rely more heavily on the “services” side of its business.
One good way to do that? Launching new, potentially lucrative, subscription services with all the grandeur of a hardware event.
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