7 things you need to know about Apple TV Plus before you sign up
Apple TV+ launched in 100 countries around the world on November 1st, but even the most excited viewers may be hesitant to shell out for yet another streaming service without knowing a little more about it.
If you’re not sure you want to pay an additional £4.99 a month for a streaming platform with just a few original shows on it, don’t panic! Apple is offering free trials all over the place — but what can you actually get from Apple TV+ when you sign up?
1. You can get a 1-year free subscription…if it’s working
The good news is that Apple is offering a free 1-year subscription to everyone who has recently purchased a new iPhone, iPad or MacBook. The offer is available on any product purchased from Apple or an Apple reseller since September 10th 2019, the date the new iPhone 11 was announced.
The free subscription isn’t limited to the latest tech though, as customers who purchased any Apple product — whether that’s an iPhone 11, an iPhone 8, a MacBook Air, etc — as long as it’s a new purchase from an approved retailer, you’ll get access to Apple’s original content for a year for free.
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That being said, there have been a number of customers that were unable to activate their free 1-year subscription, with only the free 7-day trial appearing when they log in.
If you’ve found this to be the case, recommendations include only opening Apple TV on your newly purchased device, navigating to the “Watch Now” section of Apple TV to prompt the free 1-year subscription notification, and visiting https://tv.apple.com/gb and logging in there. As well as the usual ‘log out and then log back in again’ advice.
This free 1-year subscription is available only for the first three months of Apple TV+ and will renew automatically on a rolling monthly contract after the free year is completed. Make sure you don’t cancel it accidentally at any point or you won’t be able to redeem it again and you’ll miss out on all its upcoming original content (more on that in a moment).
2. There are 3 original shows you can start streaming straight away
At launch, there are only three original shows that you can start streaming straight away, as well as a few movies, documentaries and children’s shows. These shows are Apple’s big projects with huge Hollywood names attached like Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Steve Carrell, Hailee Steinfeld and Jason Momoa.
3. There’s LOADS of original content coming to the platform soon
While three shows and a few documentaries may not seem like enough to justify an extra £4.99 a month, don’t panic. There are more than 15 original programs still in development at Apple, with each premiering exclusively on Apple TV+ in the coming months.
These include Defending Jacob, a courtroom drama starring Captain America-star Chris Evans; Foundation, a space drama based on Isaac Asimov’s sci-fi book of the same name; and Little Voice, a collaboration between Grammy- and Tony-nominated singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles and J.J. Abrams for a 10-episode half-hour dramedy.
Basically, there’s clearly more to Apple TV+ than just Jennifer Aniston.
4. You can’t binge a whole series in one night.
Straying away from the tactics of platforms like Netflix and Amazon, Apple TV+ original content will be released weekly, with just the first three episodes available to stream straight away.
This adds real value to getting the free 1-year subscription as you won’t be able to binge everything with just the free 7-day trial given to everyone.
5. There are a few minor viewing bugs
There are always bound to be teething problems when a new service is launched, and Twitter users have been quick to point out problems with the Apple TV+ service. Episodes don’t always download in the background — which is a particularly frustrating problem for those looking to download shows on the go and those with less-than-reliable connections — and episodes don’t always continue from the last point you watched them to.
While it’s great that Apple has included options like offline viewing from the get-go (unlike Netflix which took its time including this feature), let’s just hope they sort out these bugs pretty quick in order to keep its wave of new subscribers.
6. You can get Apple TV Plus for free if you’re a student
If you’re a student with an Apple Music plan, you will also receive a free 1-year subscription to Apple TV+, allowing you to watch exclusive content across your registered devices.
7. You can share your free Apple TV Plus subscription with your family
Users are able to share their 1-year free Apple TV+ plan with up to five other family members using ‘Family Sharing’. However, this applies to only one offer per family regardless of the number of devices your family owns.
Thinking of switching your TV provider? Take a look at some of our TV packages.
