From Music to TV+, Arcade, and iCloud, the expanding universe of Apple apps

Apple has added more features to its music app. For TV, it is trying to create award-worthy content

In 2015, services contributed a shade over 10 per cent to Apple’s total global revenue. Today it accounts for a fifth of the company’s total revenue. While cloud services are a significant component of this growth, Apple has also delivered a better user experience by expanding its foray into music and TV.

Apple has been able to capitalise on its loyal customer base to expand its service potential and is now finding users outside its ecosystem too.

This is also the reason that most Apple events are now as much about services as products. Earlier this year, the company launched additional features to its existing apps like Music and Apple TV.

Two years ago, the company had launched a single subscription option for families, bundling all subscriptions and making it easier and cheaper to access Music, Cloud, Arcade and Apple TV+ subscriptions.

Apple Music has been given more features like lossless audio to compete with the likes of Spotify, and Apple is adding more artists to its service. Similarly, it is investing more in TV shows to grab awards, leading to more users buying into Apple plans.

Although Apple Music is available on android devices, Apple TV+ is yet to make space on android smartphones; it has been available on Android TVs.

Arcade hasn’t taken off as well, given that iPhones are not considered serious gaming devices. But the company exclusively has a few titles under its banner. Mario was one such venture but could not generate the necessary buzz.

However, the company has also pivoted to new models.

Given the increase in online hangouts, Facetime has been expanded beyond Apple users. Like Zoom, Apple users can send links to their friends on Android devices to interact on Facetime. The company has also emulated models of music sharing and movie nights-- friends or family can share and watch movies from the comfort of their own homes.

But the company's aim remains to get you to buy devices. For that, Apple is integrating devices and services. If you are an Apple user, collaboration and sharing become easier with other Apple users.

By letting other users a glimpse of the Apple universe, it gives a preview of how much more value Android users can exact from Apple. Blackberry used this strategy brilliantly in its early days. Apple is just going one step further.