There’s much to be said about the ease of a single monthly payment, despite the fact that major tech companies are always searching for new ways to include us into their ecosystems. By combining a number of Apple’s offerings into a single plan, Apple One reduces the overall cost of using those services compared to buying them separately. It’s a fantastic value if you already pay for services like Apple Fitness+ and News+. The big issue is whether Apple can convince people who use a variety of its own and third-party services to make the jump to its ecosystem and shut the other guys out.
If you’re considering signing up for Apple One, we’ve laid out all the information you need to know, from what’s included in the programme to how much it costs and how to become a subscriber.
Recent (November 2022) update: We’ve updated the suggested Apple material and included some new links as well as additional information about iCloud+.
What is Apple One and how much does it cost?
Apple One is available in three different configurations:
- Individual: For $15 per month, you receive one person access to Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and 50 gigabytes of iCloud storage.
- Family: For $20 a month, you receive Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and 200 GB of iCloud storage, as well as the ability to share access with up to five other people.
- Premier: For $30 a month, you receive Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, 2 terabytes of iCloud storage, News+, and Fitness+, as well as the ability to share access with up to five other people.
How much money can I save?
Cost reductions apply only if you subscribe to all of these services independently. If you solely subscribe to Apple Music and nothing else, for example, moving to Apple One’s Individual plan will not save you money. However, when compared to the regular rate for the included services, the Individual plan saves $6 per month, the Family plan saves $8, and the Premier plan saves $25.
Here’s how the prices break down:
- Apple Music: $10 per month for the individual plan, $15 for the family plan, and $5 for the student plan or voice plan.
- Apple TV+: $5 per month.
- Apple Arcade: $5 per month.
- Apple News+: $10 per month.
- Apple Fitness+: $10 per month or $80 for a year.
- iCloud+: $1 per month for 50 GB, $3 for 200 GB, and $10 for 2 TB.
What About Existing Subscriptions and Free Trials?
Apple One is available for a one-month free trial. If you are a new customer with no previous subscriptions or free trials for any of these services, you will get everything for free for one month before beginning to pay the monthly charge.
Things become a bit more tricky if you already have memberships or free trials active. If you currently have subscriptions to some of the services in Apple One, they will remain, while the rest will be free for one month. Your existing individual subscriptions will be automatically cancelled at the end of the month, and you will begin paying the Apple One plan price for everything.
What if you got Apple TV+ free trail for 3 month or six months of free Apple Music via a redeemed offer? Unfortunately, Apple One will limit such free trials to one month, after which you will be charged the Apple One plan pricing you choose.
Apple iCloud Services
Music by Apple
Apple Music was our audiophile selection in our Best Streaming Services guide because its complete catalogue of more than 90 million songs is accessible in lossless format, and albums tuned in Dolby Atmos provide immersive 3D sound. It features an outstanding iPhone app and Siri integration, but the Android version is just OK, and we dislike the PC software. Social playlist sharing and curation fall short of our preferred provider, Spotify, but the gap is shrinking. You can take your playlists with you if you convert from Spotify to Apple Music.
Apple TV Plus
Apple TV+, with its emphasis on quality over quantity, isn’t competing with the massive libraries provided by Netflix, Disney+, and Hulu, and therefore merits a spot in our Best Streaming Services list. There are a few gems, including The Tragedy of Macbeth, Wolfwalkers, and Finch. The main draw of Apple TV+, however, is its irresistible smash series like Severance, Foundation, Ted Lasso, and The Morning Show, as well as its superb music documentaries. Everything is available in 4K with HDR, and no, you do not need an Apple TV to enjoy Apple TV+ content.
Arcade by Apple
The influence of Apple Arcade on mobile gaming is still unknown three years after its introduction. What is unarguable is that it provides some of the greatest mobile games available without advertisements or in-app payments. The Apple Arcade presently has over 200 games, many of which are exclusives. Mini Motorways, Sayonara Wild Hearts, Sneaky Sasquatch, Bloons TD6, and Assemble With Care are among our favourites.
iCloud+
Everyone receives 5 GB of free iCloud storage, but it quickly fills up with device backups, images, and videos. You may upgrade to iCloud+ for 50 GB, 200 GB, or 2 TB of storage, with each option supporting family sharing. Although there are numerous other cloud storage services that function well with Apple devices, iCloud is the most closely connected. Apart from the additional storage capacity, another incentive to subscribe to iCloud+ is Home Kit Secure Video.
It enables Home Kit security cameras and video doorbells to save 10 days of activity, which can be viewed in the Home app. The 50-GB plan allows for one camera, the 200-GB plan allows for up to five cameras, and the 2-TB plan allows for an infinite number of cameras. These Home Kit films do not contribute to your iCloud storage limit. Secret Relay, which encrypts your Safari online surfing, and Hide My Email, which provides you with unique, random email addresses to use when you want to keep yours private, are also included with every iCloud+ membership.
Apple News Plus
With an Apple News+ membership, you can read fantastic magazines like (cough), National Geographic, The New Yorker, Time, People, Vogue, Rolling Stone, and Popular Science, as well as newspapers like The Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times, cover-to-cover on the News app. The service avoids paywalls, has a clean layout, and provides curation based on your preferences. On the flipside, it doesn’t cover everything—the New York Times and The Washington Post, for example, are notoriously unavailable. It is also only compatible with Apple devices.
Fitness+ by Apple
Workout membership services were popular during the outset of the epidemic since people couldn’t get to the gym. Apple Fitness provides a variety of fitness options, including yoga, strength training, audio-guided walks and runs, meditations, and a plethora of real-time analytics. It works with an iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV running the Fitness app, and it needs an Apple Watch Series 3 or later. More information may be found in our review, although it has since grown. (Apple introduces over 30 new exercises and meditations each week.)
How to Subscribe for Apple One?
If you’re sold on Apple One, getting an Apple device is simple. Go to Settings, Account (touch on your name), Subscriptions, and then choose Get Apple One. That’s all!
