After one other iPad occasion, I’m left with out the announcement I’ve been ready for as soon as once more. While I’m all the time completely satisfied to see new iPads and equipment for them, I’ve been ready for a unique type of announcement from Apple for years now.
On Tuesday, Apple hosted its “Let Loose” occasion and revealed the next-generation iPad Pro, iPad Air, Apple Pencil Pro, and Magic Keyboard. In addition, the corporate introduced new variations of Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro. It additionally quietly discontinued the Ninth-generation iPad and Smart Keyboard Folio for the iPad Pro.
While a bigger iPad Air and the OLED display on the iPad Pro are each one thing to get enthusiastic about, I used to be actually hoping to see Apple discuss one thing else — not about {hardware}, not about software program, however about companies.
Specifically, I hoped (but once more) that the corporate would lastly announce Apple Books+, a subscription service to rival Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited book-reading service. Kindle Unlimited, which supplies readers entry to a catalog of ebooks and audiobooks for one month-to-month worth, has now been round for a decade and has established itself because the go-to service for readers.
Despite Apple additionally being within the ebook enterprise and providing ebooks and audiobooks by way of the Apple Books app since 2010, when it revealed the unique iPad, Apple has but to reveal a aggressive service to tackle Amazon. Since 2019, the corporate has launched a lot of subscription companies, together with Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, and Apple Fitness+. However, Apple Books+ stays elusive.
This appears to be the subsequent apparent service that Apple can carry a subscription to, and I hope it does. I would depart Kindle Unlimited so quick — particularly if Apple Books+ was wrapped into Apple One, the corporate’s subscription bundle service that gives a reduction on its companies. If the corporate supplied Apple Books+ as a part of its Premier tier of service, I’d cancel my Kindle Unlimited subscription so quick that Jeff Bezos would…in all probability do nothing as a result of it wouldn’t make a distinction. But you get the purpose.
The rumors of a brand new iPad mini level to a possible launch within the fall. So right here I am going once more, hoping that such an announcement will even embrace Apple Books+. Until then, I’ll debate myself on whether or not or not I need to learn on my iPad mini or a Kindle. That’s one other battle for the ages, in order that’ll maintain me busy till October.
