Yesterday, Apple unveiled its new streaming service : Apple TV+ . It's a platform for exclusive content where major entertainment companies will collaborate to create new titles that are sure to attract audiences. The star-studded lineup is certainly impressive; however, the service's name raises a number of questions: Did Apple really put much thought into choosing this name?
Plus, Max, S and the mess of taglines
Let's start with the hierarchy of products that we can find in the Apple catalog. The launch of the different iPhone models lost its thread a long time ago with the launch of the iPhone 5c. The letter invited to think of a model of different colors, a nomenclature that accompanied the S and the S Plus, not +, eye.
The use of the "+" in the new television service suggests a higher-end, perhaps premium, option—that is, a paid subscription. And we're not far off the mark, since Apple News+ is using the same formula to present its paid subscription, offering access to over 300 major magazines and newspapers daily for $9,99 a month.
So, we've got it. The "+" is to specify that a service is paid, right? Not so fast. At the same conference yesterday, Apple Arcade was announced , a monthly subscription available to users that gives them access to a large library of games. Unlimited video games in exchange for a monthly fee. And if it's paid, why doesn't it include the "+" in its name? Could it be that Apple is preparing an Arcade+ version with a higher price tag that would grant access to more exclusive games? Time will tell.
Be that as it may, it seems that Apple does not find a common thread between its products. Not only to link different families, but also to differentiate internal models of a range in question. What will become of the next iPhone? Will there be an iPhone+ version?
The similarities with the competition
When launching a brand, it's standard practice to conduct market research to see how your competitors operate. And in the realm of multimedia content, the field is quite crowded. The well-known service provider Movistar+ has a very familiar name since acquiring the "+" after its merger with the legendary Canal+. We also have ESPN+, and one that's generating considerable buzz is the imminent launch of Disney+ , a streaming service that Disney will soon release and which could even overlap with Apple's. Will users understand that Disney's catalog is integrated into Apple's service? That would certainly be a welcome development for those in Cupertino.
But if there's one case that particularly catches our attention, it's Samsung. The Korean company has had a 4K movie service for quite some time, supported by Rakuten TV, called none other than TV Plus —a name similar to Apple's, which will undoubtedly lead to more than a few comical situations when discussing both services. It's true that Apple's service focuses on its own exclusive productions, but using the same name is certainly curious.