An Overview
Earlier this week, one of my newsletter subscribers reached out to me asking about Apple One and what it entails and whether it is worth it. It occurred to me at this point that I should probably talk about Apple One since I have mentioned it in a few previous newsletters. Apple One is a subscription offered by Apple that gives you access to various services that Apple has to offer. While you can buy these services separately, with Apple One you will save lots of money on these services.
The Services
Apple One gives you access to many different services (depending on the plan) like Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, iCloud Storage, Apple News+, and Apple Fitness+. Below is a short description of each of these services:
Apple Music: I talked about Apple Music in a previous newsletterand how it compares with other apps like Spotify. An Apple Music subscription also comes with Apple Music Classical which just dropped this week. Apple Music Classical is a fantastic app, but can only be downloaded on iPhone (not on iPad, Apple Watch, Android, etc). Apple Music is a great music service and has millions of great songs!
Apple TV+: Apple TV+ has numerous great movies and shows for your watching pleasure. It also includes many critically acclaimed Apple TV originals that can only be found on Apple TV+!
Apple Arcade: Apple Arcade has a huge selection of all types of games. There is something for everyone here (action, strategy, racing, puzzles, sports, and so much more). Apple Arcade has some really great games that I intend to talk about in a future newsletter.
iCloud Storage: iCloud is where many of your files, photos, and device backups are stored. Without a subscription, you only get 5GB of storage in iCloud (which is not very much), but you can get much more by subscribing to an iCloud plan. Depending on the plan, you can get 50GB, 200GB, or 2TB of storage.
Apple News+: The best news from all of your favorite news sources all in one app! While you can use Apple News without an Apple News+ subscription, Apple News+ allows access to all of the articles in the app. It allows access to magazines and other content as well!
Apple Fitness+: Apple Fitness+ includes thousands of workouts (Yoga, Strength, Core, HIIT, etc.) with tons of different trainers. If you have an Apple Watch, the experience is enhanced as you can see metrics on the screen and so much more!
Summing Up and Pricing
Apple currently offers 3 Apple One plans:
Individual: This plan is Apple’s cheapest plan at $16.95 per month. This will get you access to Apple Music, Apple Arcade, Apple TV+, and 50GB of iCloud storage (no Apple News+ or Apple Fitness+). When you do the math, you will be saving $7 per month compared to if you bought these 4 services separately. Note: This plan cannot be shared with family members; only you will get access to these services.
Family: The family plan is $22.95 per month and gets you basically the same services as the individual plan, with two changes. First, iCloud storage is now 200GB rather than 50GB. Secondly, you can share this plan with up to 5 other people, but everyone gets separate accounts, so your music (for example) is separate even though you are on the same plan. When doing the math, you will save $9 per month with this plan. This plan is great for families (hence the name) who don’t need a ton of storage, Apple News+, or Apple Fitness+. If you do want Apple Fitness+, say, you could always buy this separately in addition to this plan.
Premier: Finally, the premier is the most expensive plan that is $32.95 per month and gets you everything. This comes with Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, Apple Fitness+, and 2TB of iCloud storage (which is a lot). Now while $32.95 per month isn’t cheap, you are actually saving $26 per month as opposed to if you bought everything separately (around $60). This plan can also be shared with up to five other people, so all of your family members can have access too!
So, is Apple One worth it? Well, if you are going to use these services anyway, then absolutely! There is no reason to buy all of these services separately because you will save a bunch of money on the plan. When Apple One came out, my family was already paying for many (but not all) of these services. It was a no-brainer for us to get Apple One because we would be paying the same price, but getting extra services that we weren’t receiving before! If you don’t already pay for these services, then you should consider Apple One because it is going to give you access at a discounted price. Even if you just want two or three services, Apple One is going to be similar in price while giving you even more services. It really all depends on what services your family needs/wants and how much you are willing to pay. You can go to the Apple website to learn more and view pricing.