Apple's Push Into Hollywood Detailed in Businessweek Feature Ahead of Apple TV+ Launch

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Ahead of the launch of Apple TV+ on November 1, Bloomberg Businessweek has explored Apple's foray into original content in a feature titled "The One Where Apple Tried to Buy Its Way Into Hollywood."


Many of the the reported details are already known, ranging from some Hollywood executives frowning upon Apple's culture of secrecy to Apple spending over $250 million on the ‌Apple TV‌+ series "The Morning Show," including over $1 million per episode for stars Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon.

In its early discussions about scripted programming, Apple also reportedly considered a project involving actor Keanu Reeves, known for his roles in movies like "The Matrix," "John Wick," and "Speed."

‌Apple TV‌+ is Apple's upcoming subscription-based streaming video service, launching November 1 in over 100 countries. The service will be available on the ‌Apple TV‌ app on iPhone, iPad, ‌Apple TV‌, Mac, and other platforms, including online at tv.apple.com, for $4.99 per month with a seven-day free trial.

‌Apple TV‌+ is led by former Sony Pictures Television executives Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg, who have reportedly been tasked with securing original content that is appropriate to be previewed in Apple's retail stores around the world, although it seems there will be some exceptions to that rule.

‌Apple TV‌+ will debut with the aforementioned "The Morning Show," which also stars Steve Carell, as well as the post-apocalyptic thriller "See" starring Jason Momoa, coming-of-age comedy series "Dickinson" starring Hailee Steinfeld, kids shows "Snoopy in Space" and "Helpsters," and more.


Since September 10, customers who purchase any iPhone, ‌iPad‌, ‌Apple TV‌, iPod touch, or Mac can get one year of ‌Apple TV‌+ for free.

Tag: Apple TV Plus

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Meizu 16T with Snapdragon 855 SoC, 6.5-inch AMOLED Screen Launched with a Competitive Price Tag

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iPad & iPhone User 149 Out Today

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Macworld's November 2019 Digital Edition

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Macworld UK brings you all the essential Apple news, including reviews, tutorials and product round-ups. However, keeping up with the latest developments can be a real challenge. The solution: Macworld Digital Edition for iOS and Android.

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How to change text size in Safari on iPhone

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Apple Reduces Japan Display's Payment Periods to Improve Panel Supplier's Short-Term Financing

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Apple will shorten Japan Display's payment periods in an effort to improve the panel supplier's short-term financing situation, reports Reuters, citing a source familiar with the matter.


JDI CEO Minoru Kikuoka, who took on the role in September, told reporters on Wednesday that concerns about an immediate cash shortfall had been allayed but did not mention Apple by name.

Japan Display still owes Apple nearly $900 million for the $1.5 billion cost of building a smartphone screen plant four years ago and the U.S. tech giant is also allowing the supplier to slow the pace of those repayments.

The agreement to ease payment conditions, which also includes agreements from other business partners, would improve JDI's short-term financing situation by as much as 40 billion yen ($370 million), said Kikuoka.

JDI recently lost out on Chinese funds from a key investment firm leading a proposed bailout deal, but Apple reportedly agreed to double its own investment to aid in the LCD panel maker's restructuring.

JDI relies on Apple for more than half of its sales, and supplies the liquid crystal display panels for the iPhone 11, which has helped support its bottom line. However, its mainstay LCD business has been hit heavily by the growing adoption of OLED panel technology.

Tag: Japan Display Inc

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Apple Pay Overtakes Starbucks as Most Popular Mobile Payment Platform in the US

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Apple Pay has overtaken the Starbucks mobile app to become the most popular mobile payment system in the United States, claims a new report out today.


According to eMarketer, ‌Apple Pay‌ became the market leader last year, when 27.7 million Americans used the app to make a purchase. Since then, however, ‌Apple Pay‌ has grown even faster than expected.

In 2019, ‌Apple Pay‌ will have 30.3 million users, or 47.3 percent of mobile payment users. That compares with Starbucks' 25.2 million customers via its mobile app in the same year, representing 39.4 percent of mobile payment users.

"‌Apple Pay‌ has benefited from the spread of new point-of-sale (POS) systems that work with the NFC signals ‌Apple Pay‌ runs on," said eMarketer principal analyst Yory Wurmser. "The same trend should also help Google Pay and Samsung Pay, but they will continue to split the Android market."

Citing data from Digital Trends, the analysis predicts ‌Apple Pay‌ will be available in 70 percent of U.S. retailers by the end of 2019. In contrast, the Starbucks app has commanded a 40 percent market share of mobile payments for the last few years, but growth potential is limited because it can only be used in Starbucks stores.

Total spending via contactless mobile payments will approach $100 billion this year in the U.S., according to eMarketer. On average, that is equivalent to a user spending $1,545 per year, up more than 24 percent over last year.

Nearly 64 million people (30 percent of all U.S. smartphone users) are expected to make use of mobile payments this year, a 9.1 percent increase over 2018. In terms of demographics, nearly 50 percent of all smartphone users are adults aged 25 to 34, so the growth of mobile payments is expected to be strongest in this age group, although digital wallet use is said to be growing across the board.

"Although a growing number of millennials feel secure using payment apps, virtually all still find credit and debit cards equally convenient," said eMarketer forecasting analyst Vincent Yip. That bodes well for Apple Card, which launched earlier this year. ‌Apple Pay‌ is now in 47 markets and in the June quarter, started adding more new users than PayPal, with monthly transaction volume growing four times as fast.

Tags: Starbucks, Apple Pay

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