Apple Inc on Monday launched `Apple News Plus`, a subscription-based service that gives access to 300 publications such as the Wall Street Journal and the Los Angeles Times, at a special event held at the Steve Jobs Theater at its Cupertino, California headquarters.

COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook started with announcements on Apple News:

1. Apple News Plus will feature content from 300 magazines

2. Apple News Plus will cost $9.99 per month

3. Apple News Plus will feature content from National Geographic, People, Popular Science, Billboard and The New Yorker Magazines

4. Apple News Plus will contain articles from digital publishers the Skimm, Tech Crunch And Vox 

Apple also lifted the curtain on Monday on a television and movie streaming service that will allow users of its 1.4 billion gadgets to stream television shows and movies, both Apple originals and those from other creators, in a first step to challenge streaming video leaders Netflix and Amazon.

Chief Executive Tim Cook introduced Monday`s event at the glass-enclosed Steve Jobs Theater at Apple`s Cupertino, California, headquarters, saying the event would focus on the technology company`s services, not its hardware. He said Apple`s strength was "the seamless integration of hardware, software and services."

By highlighting services that run on its 1.4 billion consumer devices, rather than the devices themselves, Apple`s strategy change is a momentous shift in emphasis under Chief Executive Tim Cook, who succeeded the late Steve Jobs in 2011.

"It`s show time" is how Apple billed the launch, leading analysts to believe it will be its first splashy event not featuring new gadgets or hardware.