The iOS 12.2 beta includes a previously unseen landing page for a new digital subscription feature within the stock News app, called Apple News Magazines.
The landing page mentions Apple News Magazines as being available internally. Subscription payments should take advantage of existing iTunes billing infrastructure.
“Available to Apple internal users for a limited time,” the messages says. “Your iTunes Store account won’t be charged,” it promises. To be completely on the safe side, the screenshots include a prompt reminding the user that their subscription has expired.
The landing page indicates that Vogue, Shape, Bon Appétit and other popular magazines will likely be Apple’s launch partners for the service.
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9to5Mac speculates that multiple mentions of “bundle subscription” hint at an all-in-one media subscription which would include Apple Music, TV shows and magazines.
The Information said last summer that Apple was working on a subscription package combining original video programming, music and digital magazines for a flat monthly fee.
Bloomberg in December corroborated that report, saying Apple’s acquisition of Texture should evolve into a new subscription feature in the News app.
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Apple is thought to have been pushing big publishers to join the new service ahead of its tentative Spring 2019 launch, which would be consistent with iOS 12.2’s expected release date.
While Texture served images of what magazine pages look like in print, Apple’s versions of the service is expected to resemble online news articles.
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Texture, also known as the Netflix for magazines, used to charge users a flat subscription fee of ten bucks per month to access more than 200 popular magazines, including People, The New Yorker, Time, National Geographic, Shape, Newsweek and more.
Other new features unearthed from the iOS 12.2 beta, which released last week, include Apple News expansion to Canada, HomeKit TV support, and some UI tweaks like a new Add Money button for Apple Pay Cash in the Wallet app, redesigned AirPlay icons, an overhauled Apple TV Remote widget in Control Center the now takes up the entire screen and more.
Would you consider a magazine-subscription service from Apple? And while we’re at it, how likely are you to subscribe to that rumored package combining the company’s original TV shows, Apple Music and digital magazines?
Let us know in the comments down below!