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Apple Highlights Services in 2021, Recaps Upcoming Features Like IDs on iPhone

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Apple today highlighted the continued growth and expansion of its services in 2021, including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Maps, Apple Pay, Apple News, Apple Podcasts, Apple Fitness+, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and more.

apple-wallet-drivers-license-feature.jpg

"Apple's world-class portfolio of services proved essential in 2021, as people worldwide sought new ways to keep entertained, informed, connected, and inspired," said Apple's services chief Eddy Cue, adding that Apple has over 745 million active paid subscriptions across its services, including in-app subscriptions via the App Store.

A few notable details shared by Apple:
  • Developers selling digital goods and services have earned more than $260 billion since the App Store launched in 2008, setting a new record for yearly earnings. The figure stood at over $200 billion a year ago.
  • App Store customers spent more than ever before between Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve in 2021, with double-digit growth over the same year-ago period. Apple did not disclose a specific dollar amount.
  • Customers used 30 million digital tickets in the Wallet app for sports games, concerts, and other events across the U.S. and Canada in 2021.
  • Apple TV+ has received 763 award nominations and 190 wins since launching.
Apple also reiterated the following upcoming features:
  • iPhone and Apple Watch users will be able to add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app in participating U.S. states later this year. Apple's website indicates the feature will be available in early 2022.
  • Apple Music plans to launch a dedicated classical music app later this year after acquiring classical music service Primephonic last year.
  • 3D Apple Maps will be available in Montréal, Toronto, and Vancouver later this year.
The full press release has been posted to the Apple Newsroom and is a worthwhile read for those interested in learning the latest about Apple's services.

Article Link: Apple Highlights Services in 2021, Recaps Upcoming Features Like IDs on iPhone
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2022/01/10/apple-highlights-services-in-2021/
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'Services' are largely pure profit. Look at how the airlines are doing with their 'services'. Most make tons more money on ancillary charges than on what they exist to do: Fly people from point A to point B. *sigh*
 
pshady said:
Siri needs to be smarter.
Click to expand...
This doesn’t tell the reader anything. Smarter as in how? What is it that you’re requesting Siri to do to make it ‘smarter’? I use Siri at least 60 to 75 times a day for almost everything from dictation, to Apple Maps, searches, CarPlay, Notes, automation, etc. And Siri executes all of those things very well, not perfectly, but very well. So I don’t understand what needs to be smarter about Siri, other than the constant refinement/tweaking for deciphering dialect from the user.

pshady said:
I'm not handing the cops my phone to show them my drivers license.
Click to expand...
So don’t. It’s not like drivers license are obsolete. Most states require physical drivers license’s by law to be in your possession anyway when operating a motor vehicle.
 
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redheeler said:
Meanwhile I'm just wondering when we can expect 10 GB of free iCloud storage.
Click to expand...

I am also wondering why someone who can afford buying phones in the $500-$1200 can't afford $15 per year in running cost for the iPhone.

It's like buying a car and not have money for gas, insurance, maintenance and even washing/cleaning.
 
hans1972 said:
I am also wondering why someone who can afford buying phones in the $500-$1200 can't afford $15 per year in running cost for the iPhone.

It's like buying a car and not have money for gas, insurance, maintenance and even washing/cleaning.
Click to expand...
How do you know they can afford it? Consumers are probably paying subsidized payments on those phones. How many consumers do you think could pay full price for a $1300 iPhone Pro-Max? I’d wager very a small minority pay full price for a smart phone, only because it’s more convenient to make smaller payments with no APR . I own my smart phone, and I refuse to make payments on a phone.

The concept is no different than dealerships. They don’t care what your payment is or what you can afford for a vehicle, their whole goal is to push vehicle sales out the door. Once you sign that binding contract, that’s your problem.
 
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Relentless Power said:
This doesn’t tell the reader anything. Smarter as in how? What is it that you’re requesting Siri to do to make it ‘smarter’? I use Siri at least 60 to 75 times a day for almost everything from dictation, to Apple Maps, searches, CarPlay, Notes, automation, etc. And Siri executes all of those things very well, not perfectly, but very well. So I don’t understand what needs to be smarter about Siri, other than the constant refinement/tweaking for deciphering dialect from the user.
Click to expand...

If I make 75 requests and Siri can only handle 15, she needs to be smarter. There’s plenty of stuff that goes wrong including perfectly simple requests that work one day and not the next, issues where she says “o oh something went wrong, try again later” and very frustrating conversational issues like this one:

me: hey Siri, remind me about X
Siri: *creates a reminder about Y*
me: change the reminder
Siri: There are no upcoming reminders
me: change the reminder Y
Siri: what do you want to be reminded about?
me: “x”
Siri: I don’t know what you mean with X
etc etc
 
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I read the entire Apple press release.

It was ALL Marketing Fluff !

NOT a single concrete data point !

Tim Cook must really be worried about something right now :)
 
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pshady said:
Siri needs to be smarter. Also, I'm not handing the cops my phone to show them my drivers license.
Click to expand...
Neither will anybody else because that's not how it works. You don't hand your phone over to a checkout person to use a credit card. IDs will work more like Apple Pay does.
 
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Cosmosent said:
I read the entire Apple press release.

It was ALL Marketing Fluff !

NOT a single concrete data point !

Tim Cook must really be worried about something right now :)
Click to expand...

Yes, to have become the first 3 trillion dollar company must be causing him a lot of sleepless nights.
 
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