Right now we are seeing more subscription services than ever. Even software that used to be one-off purchases are now seeing subscriptions, where users can pay a monthly fee and ensure that they’ll never have to worry about purchasing upgrades in the future. However could the same be applied to hardware?That’s what analyst Horace Dediu seems to think Apple should do, which is to create a subscription service that wraps all of its hardware and software into a single package. Speaking to The Wall Street Journal (via 9to5Mac), Dediu suggested that a single subscription package could cover all manner of hardware upgrades (right now Apple only offers an iPhone upgrade plan) and software, including health monitoring, iCloud storage, Apple Music, access to original Apple programming, and so on.
Analyst Ben Bajarin also believes that this makes sense and already sees a link between Apple’s hardware and software. “Take the example of AirPods: People who own them are more likely to subscribe to a music service, including Apple’s, because AirPods make it easier and more convenient to consume audio content.”
It has also been pointed out by 9to5Mac that the HomePod could also spur subscriptions to Apple’s services, especially since Apple has recently confirmed the audio sources which are limited to Apple Music and iTunes purchases.
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