It only takes a hit like "Ted Lasso" to make a service dramatically more appealing. Credit: Apple
The cost of an Apple One collection of services hasn't changed since it launched, but those services have grown. Here's how to decide whether it's worth buying the bundle in 2022.
Apple has muddied the waters over its services, changing its free trials, or giving extended ones when you're a student, or you've bought an Apple Watch, and so on. At some point, though, you're not going to be a student, you'll have bought all the devices, and then you're down to paying a regular, full Apple One fee.
Apple One consists of three tiers, offering a growing number of services in each. The total Apple services available are:
- Apple Music
- Apple TV+
- Apple Fitness+
- Apple News+
- Apple Arcade
- Extra iCloud Storage
Once you're out of all the free trials, the cost to buy everything separately would be $54.94 per month. You can pull that down a little by buying the Apple Fitness+ annual plan, which at $79.99 per year means a per-month equivalent outlay of $6.70. That would turn the total cost to $51.65 per month.
To get all of the same services in the Apple One bundle, though, you'd have to pay just $29.95 per month and get the Premier tier. That's a saving of $24.99 (or $21.70 if you're buying Fitness+ annually.)
So if you want everything, or are the head of an iCloud family sharing group, Apple One is a bargain. Go get it now.
But as much as Apple would like all of us to use all of its services, our needs and wants and budgets vary. And the services themselves have steadily altered and improved, too.
Then while the question of whether Apple One is worth it always comes down to what services you want and use, it also depends on which of the three tiers you consider.
The services in Apple One
What's in the Apple One Individual Plan
For $14.95 per month, the Apple One Individual plan gets you Apple Music (not the family sharing version), Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and iCloud with 50GB space.
Apple Music for individuals costs $9.99 per month, where both Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade are $4.99 each per month. The cost of 50GB iCloud space outside of the Apple One bundle is $0.99.
So if you used all of the services in the Individual plan, at $14.95 you'd be saving $6.01, and the Individual plan would be a clear bargain.
Really though, the Individual plan is only worth it if you want Apple Music, 50GB iCloud and at least one of either Apple TV+ or Apple Arcade. If you don't want the iCloud storage, then the Individual plan is 3 cents more expensive than buying Apple Music and either Apple TV+ or Apple Arcade separately.
Whether you want Apple TV+ or Apple Arcade is obviously up to you. Both services, though, have continued to expand since launch.
Currently Apple Arcade offers over 200 games, while Apple TV+ still has a small library compared to other streaming services. But then AppleInsider said right from the start that it isn't the size of the library that really matters, it's whether a streaming or a broadcast company have one true hit.
Apple TV+ took off when it got "Ted Lasso" and it's since become a strong service. Plus it has just added Major League Baseball, which might be an issue if you're a sports fan, but is a boon if you're a sports fan with an Apple TV+ subscription.
However, there is one other issue with the Individual plan and it's that it solely includes Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade. If you also want just a little more, specifically Apple Music family sharing and 200GB iCloud storage, you have to buy the Family plan.
What's in the Apple One Family Plan
The Apple One Family plan brings no extra services, it is the Individual one with two changes. They are enough to alter the calculation, though, over whether it's worth buying the plan or paying individually for the services.
For the Family plan's $19.95 per month, you get the family Apple Music tier, which ordinarily costs $14.99. Plus you get 200GB of iCloud storage, which would otherwise cost you $2.99 per month.
Bought separately, then, 200GB iCloud storage and Apple Music family tier costs $17.98, which is $1.97 more than the Apple One Family plan.
But the Apple One Family plan also includes Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade. If you use or want even one of those, the Family plan saves you $3.02. If you use and want both, the saving is then $8.01.
Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade are both services that elicit a range of responses. You could be a fan, you could have no interest at all, but there's a strong chance that you're somewhere in the middle with the odd favourite game or TV show.
With iCloud storage, you either need it or you don't. In which case, it can either be the boon in Apple One plans, or the padding.
Apple Arcade is adding high-profile games
If you don't want 200GB iCloud storage, then you have got to want the family Apple Music and both Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade for the Apple One Family plan to save you money. Doing that would mean the Apple One Family plan is an entire three cents cheaper.
But then it's three cents cheaper, plus it's also more convenient having one payment going out at the same time each month. And you may not use all of the services or iCloud now, but you may later - and especially if they're already paid for and waiting for you.
And the Family plan allows you to share all of the services with up to five other people. That's not the clinching deal it seems, though, as with the exception of Apple Music, all of the services allow for sharing even when bought separately.
What's in the Apple One Premier Plan
Apple One's Premier plan is the only tier that adds more services alongside the same Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and iCloud storage. The iCloud storage is now 2TB, which would separately cost you $9.99 per month. And Apple Music is the family sharing edition.
You can't switch that off, though. You can't switch back to having Apple Music just for you, nor can you cut down the iCloud storage if you don't want that.
Similarly, you have no option to cut back on the extra services. Apple One Premier plan adds Apple News+, and Apple Fitness+. Again, it also lets you share all of them with up to five other people.
The question is whether you want Apple News+ and Apple Fitness+. Bought separately, both are $9.99 per month, although Fitness+ has that annual option which reduces the per month fee to about $6.70.
Apple One Premier plan costs $29.95 per month. To make that worthwhile, then you need to use and want at least three of the services.
If one of those is the $14.99 family version of Apple Music, then you could want just Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade. This time it would come in at 3 cents less to buy them separately, but only that, and there's got to be more than 3 cents worth of value to you in the other services.
Similarly, if you use Apple Music family version and just one of the other $9.99 services, you're out 2 cents by buying the bundle. But if all you want is two of the $9.99 services, you'd be $9.97 better off buying them separately.
However, when you want three of the $9.99 services, or a combination of Apple Music family version and one $9.99 plus one $4.99 service, the bundle is worth it.
It's not just about the cost
If you're going to save money every month by buying an Apple One bundle, that's that, your choice is clear. But these are all services, they're not devices, and a thing with services is that their value can be much more nebulous.
They also grow. Apple Fitness+ is adding new workouts every week, Apple Arcade is regularly adding new games. And Apple TV+ seems to have gone from lackluster to a really competitive streamer with curated and quality content.
Tiffany Haddish in "The Afterparty"
Maybe the sole thing you liked on Apple TV+ was "The Afterparty." Then for eight weeks, Apple TV+ was worth it to you, and for 44 weeks of the year, it wasn't. It's the same with News+ and Fitness+, you can go in waves of using and enjoying them, or not.
There is no point paying for what you never use. But a key benefit of buying the Apple One bundle is that if you have a service, you can dip in and out of it on a whim.
And the result is going to be that you end up using Apple's services more.
FAQs
Is the Apple One subscription bundle worth it in spring 2022? | AppleInsider? ›
To get all of the same services in the Apple One bundle, though, you'd have to pay just $29.95 per month and get the Premier tier. That's a saving of $24.99 (or $21.70 if you're buying Fitness+ annually.) So if you want everything, or are the head of an iCloud family sharing group, Apple One is a bargain.
What is the downside to Apple One? ›The service saves you from paywalls, features slick presentation, and offers curation based on your interests. On the downside, it doesn't include everything—The New York Times and The Washington Post are famously unavailable. It also only works on Apple devices.
Is Apple One Plus worth it? ›Is Apple One Worth it? There's no doubt that Apple One will save you money. If you subscribe to Music, TV+, and Arcade, and pay for 50GB of iCloud storage, it costs nearly $24 a month, so you save $7 per month with the $16.95 Individual tier.
Why is Apple One getting more expensive? ›Apple says that prices are going up as of today due to increased licensing costs. For Apple Music, the increase will provide artists and songwriters with additional money for their music.
Can you get a yearly subscription to Apple One? ›Apple One is a monthly subscription service with no long-term commitment. The Individual plan is $16.95 per month, the Family plan is $22.95 per month, and the Premier plan is $32.95 per month. Compared with paying for individual subscriptions, these plans offer a discount of up to 44%.
How to get Apple One cheap? ›You'll save $25 per month by signing up for the Apple One Premier plan, which includes everything above for $29.95 per month. And your entire family will be able to use the services. You can even save significant bucks even if you only use some of those services.
Is Apple One better than Spotify? ›Should You Get Spotify or Apple Music? Apple Music offers the best sound quality, has more exclusive features, and includes music videos, broadcast radio, and shows. Spotify includes music alongside audiobooks and podcasts, provides a free plan, and supports more platforms.
Is Apple One necessary? ›Really though, the Individual plan is only worth it if you want Apple Music, 50GB iCloud and at least one of either Apple TV+ or Apple Arcade. If you don't want the iCloud storage, then the Individual plan is 3 cents more expensive than buying Apple Music and either Apple TV+ or Apple Arcade separately.
What's the difference between Apple TV+ and Apple One? ›While you can still share Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade with other people in your Family Sharing group, you can't share your Apple Music or iCloud storage subscription. Compared to paying for each service individually, the Apple One Individual plan could save you about $6/month.
Is Apple new subscription worth it? ›If you're into basic news and headlines, Apple News alone should suffice. But those who were planning on subscribing to several paywalls that are included in Apple News+ and already use the app consistently, it's completely worth it.
What is the advantage of Apple One? ›
Apple One bundles up to six Apple subscriptions for one lower monthly price, including up to 2TB of iCloud+ storage. And with the Family plan or Premier plan, you can invite up to five other people to join — with private access on all of their devices. It's never been easier to get more. For less.
Is Apple Music free with Prime? ›Yes, Apple Music does come free with Amazon Prime. You will be able to listen to your music via Prime, but you will not be able to install the Apple Music app. What's the difference between Amazon Music and Apple Music? These apps are very similar but do have some key differences in design and features.
Does Apple One include Apple TV Plus? ›The Apple One subscription bundle brings many of Apple's paid services under one plan. Get Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, Apple News+, and additional iCloud storage for up to $26 per month in savings.
Can I share my individual Apple One subscription? ›On your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings, then tap your name. Tap Subscriptions. Scroll down and make sure that Share with Family is turned on. Tap the subscription that you want to share.
Is there one account for everything you do with Apple? ›Your Apple ID is the account that you use to access all Apple services and make all of your devices work together seamlessly.
What is the grace period for Apple One subscription? ›After the 28-day grace period expires, subscribers lose access to benefits. If the user is recovered during the remainder of the 60-day billing retry period, they'll renew on the recovery date, starting a new billing cycle. Payment for the provided full service during the grace period would not be collected.
How much is an Apple 1 worth today? ›A fully functional Apple-1 computer that was hand-numbered by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs sold for $442,118 at auction this month, exceeding the estimate $375,000 price tag.
What is the cheapest subscription Apple? ›₹99/month. A monthly subscription is just ₹99 per month after a free 7‑day trial. Share Apple TV+ with your family.
Why does Apple Music sound better than Spotify? ›Even if you're not part of the AirPods army, Apple Music has another big advantage over Spotify: lossless and high-resolution audio. Lossless audio essentially avoids a lot of the data loss that happens when songs are compressed from their original source, giving you CD-quality sound from a digital file.
Who uses more Apple Music or Spotify? ›Apple Music was once the leader in all things digital music, but is currently behind Spotify with more than 98 million users worldwide. Apple's Music is known for its high-profile exclusives, robust library, curated radio, and seamless integration with iOS. How much is Apple Music?
What is the point of getting Apple TV? ›
Watch, rent, or buy your favorite shows and movies all in one expertly curated app. Enjoy critically acclaimed Apple Originals series and films from Apple TV+ as they were meant to be seen. Subscribe to just the channels you want.
Do you share iCloud storage with Apple One? ›If a family member subscribes to Apple One
If your family needs additional iCloud storage, the family member who purchased Apple One can buy more iCloud storage. With both Apple One and an iCloud+ plan, your family can share up to 4TB of total iCloud storage.
When you use Family Sharing, your whole family can share access to the same Apple subscriptions. With Apple One, you can bundle everything together for one low monthly price. You can also share some other subscriptions that you sign up for in apps from the App Store.
Does Apple One include iTunes? ›Apple One includes Apple Music. Apple Music is a superset of iTunes Match, and includes the matching and uploading features. That said you really should have a backup of all of the music that you've currently added to iTunes Match, and should not rely entirely on the cloud.
Why is Apple TV Plus so expensive? ›Apple raised prices across all of its services last month, including Apple TV Plus, citing “an increase in licensing costs.” While the company hasn't yet turned to advertising to help mitigate some of these expenses, it's almost guaranteed that it will.
Which is better Netflix or Apple TV? ›If it's choice and a broader range of content to enjoy, from TV series to movies and reality TV series; Netflix is the much better option than Apple TV+. However, in our opinion, when it comes to quality and consistency of original content, we'd say Apple is the better of the two.
What are the pros and cons of Apple TV Plus? ›| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Quality original content | Limited library of content |
| $6.99 monthly subscription | Limited licensed content |
| MLS and MLB live sports | Need a new Apple device for extended free trial |
After your subscription is over
The songs you downloaded from Apple Music catalog will be removed from all your devices. The music you purchased from iTunes will be removed from your device but you can download them without paying again. As you know, iCloud Music Library allows you to access your entire iTunes library.
99 cents is normally an iCloud Storage charge. The 50GB option to be precise. You can manage it in Manage your iCloud storage - Apple Support and see if you are in fact paying for iCloud.
What happens if I cancel my Apple subscription? ›If you cancel your subscription, you will have access to your account until the end of your current billing cycle. On your renewal date, you will no longer have access to your Apple Music library. Apple Music also does not typically offer refunds when you cancel your subscription.
Can I choose services on Apple One? ›
On your iPhone, iPad,or iPod touch, go to Settings, tap your name, then tap Subscriptions. Tap Apple One. Choose a plan. If you already subscribe to Apple Music, Apple News+, Apple Arcade or Apple TV+, you don't need to cancel those subscriptions.
How to get free Apple Music without paying? ›To start the free trial, go to Apple Music and select "Try it free" in the top-right corner. Then, click "Try it free" on any plan option, such as Voice, Student, Individual, or Family.
How can I get Apple Music Premium for free? ›New Apple Music subscribers get six months free with an eligible audio device. Make sure your iPhone or iPad is running the latest iOS or iPadOS. Then, you can activate your Apple Music trial after you pair your audio device to your iPhone or iPad. Or visit support.apple.com for more information.
Are all songs free on Apple Music subscription? ›Cost. Unlike Spotify, Apple Music does not offer a free ad-supported music tier. A paid subscription is required for all Apple Music content. A standard Apple Music subscription costs $9.99 per month in the United States.
Is Paramount plus included with Apple One? ›Yes! You can stream Paramount+ on Apple TV channels with your Apple ID. You can also stream on paramountplus.com and the Paramount+ app, once you've verified your Paramount+ credentials.
Does Apple One include HBO? ›Streaming services, streamlined. Easily discover all your favorite shows from streaming services including Disney+, HBO Max, Prime Video, Hulu, and more — all inside the app. the box. Enjoy all the top-rated prime-time TV shows, live sports, and news — from leading cable providers — on demand right in the Apple TV app.
Does Apple One include HBO Max? ›Without Apple TV box, you will have to choose from the apps as offered by the TV/streaming device manufacturer. The Apple TV app alone doesn't facilitate adding additional apps. The Apple TV app does offer select in-app Channels to subscribe to, but that doesn't include HBO Max.
How many devices can you have on Apple One subscription? ›Family Sharing requires a personal Apple ID signed in to iCloud. Music, movies, TV shows, and books can be downloaded on up to 10 devices per account, five of which can be computers.
How many family members can use Apple One? ›Family Sharing lets you and up to five other family members share access to Apple services, purchases, an iCloud storage plan, and more.
Can Family Sharing see my texts? ›Google family link can allow you to see your kid's text messages, SMS text, and social media texts and block some activities. Step 1. Download the Google family link (parent) on your device.
What apps do you get with Apple One? ›
Individual: For $17 per month, you get Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and 50 gigabytes of iCloud storage for one person. Family: For $23 per month, you get Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and 200 GB of iCloud storage, plus you can share access with up to five other people.
Can 2 phones share the same Apple ID? ›The short answer is yes! You can use two iPhones with the same Apple ID. However, please read the entire article because there are so many things you should know if you are considering using 2 iPhones with the same Apple ID. In this guide, you will find everything related to using two iPhones with the same Apple ID.
What happens if I use the same Apple ID on two devices? ›If you own the two phones there is little harm in having them both linked to your AppleID. The short version is that the two phones can sync data such as messages, apps, photos, etc. to make it easy to switch between phones.
Why i can't cancel Apple One subscription? ›If you don't see Cancel, the subscription is already canceled and won't renew. Also, you may have been charged if you didn't cancel the free trial in time: If you signed up for a free or discounted trial subscription and you don't want to renew it, cancel it at least 24 hours before the trial ends.
How do I renew my expired Apple One subscription? ›To renew, sign in to your account with the Apple ID you used to enroll, and click the Renew Membership button. If your membership is still active when you renew, your new membership will activate as soon as your current membership expires and you'll receive two (2) new Technical Support Incidents (TSIs).
Can you pay off Apple installment plan early? ›If you already paid your Apple Card balance, you can make an early payment toward your Apple Card Monthly Installments. At card.apple.com, click Payments in the sidebar. Click Pay Installments Early at the bottom of the page.
What happens if I switch to Apple One? ›What's included with Apple One. Apple One includes a free 1-month trial for services that you don't already have. After your free trial, services that you previously subscribed to are automatically included in Apple One. If you recently canceled a service, you might not be eligible for the free trial.
Can Apple One be canceled? ›Click Account Settings. Scroll to Subscriptions, then click Manage. Next to the subscription, click Edit. Click Cancel Subscription.
Do I need Apple match and Apple One? ›iTunes Match is included with Apple Music and Apple One; you don't need the separate subscription to it. You only need the 2TB iCloud+ plan if the storage in Apple One isn't enough.
Why was the Apple 1 so popular? ›With the incorporation of the microprocessor and dynamic RAM, the Apple I proved how small, simple, and cheap a usable computer could be. The computer sold as a single board for $666.66 since Wozniak liked repeating digits.
Does Apple slow down phones when a new one comes out? ›
Over the years, it has continued to unveil new models every fall, but many users complain of their older models slowing down every time a new model drops.
What happens to iCloud if I cancel Apple One? ›If you downgrade to the free iCloud plan, you will no longer have access to iCloud+ features like Hide My Email, Private Relay, and HomeKit Secure Video support. If you pay for both Apple One and an iCloud+ plan, you can downgrade or cancel the iCloud+ plan and just use the iCloud+ plan included in Apple One.
Will I lose my music if I switch to Apple One? ›When switching over to the Apple One bundle, questions often come up. Apple One upgrades you and your family to iCloud+, Apple Music Family, etc. This process makes no changes to any saved data, and it's all seamless and fast.
Does Apple Music delete your library if you don't pay? ›If you do not pay by the day it is due then it is canceled. "When your Apple Music membership ends, you will lose access to any feature of Apple Music that requires a membership, including but not limited to access to Apple Music songs stored on your device, and iCloud Music Library.
Will I lose my library if I cancel Apple Music? ›Apple Music is a subscription service which allows you to listen to any music at anytime. You can even download music from Apple Music to your iTunes library. However, if you are to cancel your subscription, or your free trial ends, any music that you downloaded through Apple Music will be removed from your library.
Can I choose my Apple One bundle? ›On your iPhone, iPad,or iPod touch, go to Settings, tap your name, then tap Subscriptions. Tap Apple One. Choose a plan. If you already subscribe to Apple Music, Apple News+, Apple Arcade or Apple TV+, you don't need to cancel those subscriptions.
Can I share Apple One with my wife? ›Family Sharing lets you and up to five other family members share access to amazing Apple services like Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple News+, Apple Arcade, and Apple Card. Your group can also share iTunes, Apple Books, and App Store purchases, an iCloud storage plan, and a family photo album.
What's the difference between iTunes Match and Apple One? ›Apple One includes Apple Music. Apple Music is a superset of iTunes Match, and includes the matching and uploading features. That said you really should have a backup of all of the music that you've currently added to iTunes Match, and should not rely entirely on the cloud.