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Everything you need to know about Apple's 'radical' new products

It is normally September when the world eagerly awaits Apple’s latest announcements, but the tech giant has jumped the gun and unveiled a series of radical new products.

In front of a full house featuring the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Aniston and Steven Spielberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced the launch of its new video streaming service, unveiled a premium subscription tier to its News app and announced the release of its own credit card called Apple Card.

Mr Cook revealed the world’s biggest magazines about news, entertainment, fashion and sport would all be delivered through a new service called Apple News+.

The magazines include titles such as National Geographic, Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, Cosmopolitan, Vogue, The Atlantic, Better Homes & Gardens, Bon Appétit and ELLE.

The subscription service will cost $14 a month, the company said, saying it was “the best way to read magazines on your device”.

Apple CEO Tim Cook unveils Apple News+ at the Steve Jobs Theatre in Cupertino. Source: AP
Apple CEO Tim Cook unveils Apple News+ at the Steve Jobs Theatre in Cupertino. Source: AP

It will also have articles from some newspapers, including The Wall Street Journal and The Los Angeles Times.

“We’re committed to supporting quality journalism and with Apple News+, we want to celebrate the great work being done by magazines and news outlets,” Apple News editor-in-chief Lauren Kern said.

“We think the breadth and quality of publications within Apple News+ will encourage more people to discover stories and titles they may never have come across before.”

The company took several opportunities on Monday (local time) to emphasise user privacy — and indirectly take a jab at rivals — at its splashy, celebrity-laden event in Cupertino, California.

Apple News+ will offer users 300 of the world’s best magazines for $14 a month. Source: AP
Apple News+ will offer users 300 of the world’s best magazines for $14 a month. Source: AP

The new services will pit Apple against the likes of Google and Facebook in news, and Amazon and Netflix in streaming video.

But unlike many of its competitors, Apple said it would not use your news preferences and spending history to sell advertising.

Facebook, Google and other tech companies have come under fire for the amount of data they collect on users to sell advertising.

Apple has largely escaped this backlash and has sought to set itself apart by emphasising its privacy safeguards.

The tech giant has been able to do so because the bulk of its business is in hardware, namely iPhones.

Oprah, Spielberg to help Apple take on Netflix

Apple trotted out few details on its long-awaiting streaming service on Monday, but it did not skimp on high-wattage celebrity.

Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg and Jennifer Aniston were part of a parade of A-listers who took the stage at Apple headquarters in Cupertino where the main attractions are usually the company’s latest high-tech gadgets.

This time though it was the likes of Big Bird and Aquaman himself Jason Momoa, who took the spotlight at Apple’s latest live-streamed product launch.

Apple CEO Tim Cook and Oprah Winfrey prepare to embrace at the Steve Jobs Theater during an event to announce new products in Cupertino. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
Apple CEO Tim Cook and Oprah Winfrey prepare to embrace at the Steve Jobs Theater during an event to announce new products in Cupertino. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

“I’m joining forces with Apple,” Winfrey said.

“They’re in a billion pockets, y’all.”

Mr Cook gave what he called “a sneak peek” of the tech giant’s plans to transform television viewing and jump — some analysts say belatedly — into the streaming business Netflix has pioneered.

The service, dubbed Apple TV Plus, will debut in the fall in more than 100 countries and feature ad-free original series and films.

“It’s not just another streaming service,” Zack Van Amburg, who along with Jamie Erlicht was hired away from Sony TV to head Apple’s video programming, said.

Oprah Winfrey speaks at the Steve Jobs Theater during an event to announce new Apple products in Cupertino. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
Oprah Winfrey speaks at the Steve Jobs Theater during an event to announce new Apple products in Cupertino. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

Mr Cook did not map out how extensive Apple’s streaming library will be, nor how much it would cost – but he promised big ambitions.

“We partnered with the most thoughtful, accomplished and award-winning group of creative visionaries who have ever come together in one place, to create a new service unlike anything that’s been done before,” he said.

But what the presentation lacked in particulars it sought to make up for with star power and sizzle-reel teases of its upcoming slate.

Some of the highlights:

Oprah reveals two documentaries

Winfrey said she had two documentaries in the works for Apple TV Plus (one on mental health, one on the toll of sexual harassment in the workplace).

The talk-show legend is planning “the most stimulating book club on the planet”.

Winfrey, whose book club choices have made dozens of works into instant best-sellers, said the Apple broadcast would include streamed conversations with authors.

She already has her OWN network and “O″ magazine where she still makes book picks, most recently Michelle Obama’s “Becoming”.

“I am proud to be a part of this platform where I can connect with people around the world to create positive change,” Winfrey said.

Spielberg’s Amazing Stories

Executive produced by Steven Spielberg, “Amazing Stories” is a science-fiction anthology series the filmmaker is reviving. It first ran for two seasons from 1985-1987 on NBC.

“We want to transport the audience with every single episode,” Spielberg said.

Aniston’s first return to TV since Friends

Reese Witherspoon, left, and Jennifer Aniston announced their new show with Steve Carell. Source: AP
Reese Witherspoon, left, and Jennifer Aniston announced their new show with Steve Carell. Source: AP

Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carell star in this series about the behind-the-scenes drama at a TV morning show.

Witherspoon said it would “pull back the curtain on men and women in the high-stakes battle of morning television”.

It is, notably, Aniston’s first time back in television since “Friends”.

“And I’m really excited about it,” she said.

Apple unveil credit card

Jennifer Bailey, vice president of Apple Pay, unveils the Apple Card. Source: Getty
Jennifer Bailey, vice president of Apple Pay, unveils the Apple Card. Source: Getty

Apple also introduced the highly anticipated Apple Card, a credit card designed to be used with iPhone, in partnership with Goldman Sachs via Mastercard.

The card will live in the wallet section of the iPhone, though customers will also get a physical card made of titanium.

Apple says the card will make it easier to see what merchants charged you.

It uses Apple Maps to show users where they spend their money.

This is in contrast to the sometimes-confusing alphabet soup people can see on their credit card statements.

Much like Apple News+, the company is emphasising privacy and says it will not know what you bought or where.

It will include a rewards program of 2 per cent back on all transactions.

Apple says the card has no late fees, annual fees or fees for going over the credit limit.

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