Apple TV Plus Review: The Tech Giant Enters the Streaming War With Only 4 Shows?

With an abundance of streaming providers out there, including the newly released Disney+ and Apple TV+ platforms, all competing for your hard-earned cash, knowing which streaming service is the best can be a pretty daunting task. If you still have questions about the future of streaming, then you've come to the right place. All week long, as part of IGN's State of Streaming series, we'll be debuting reviews and in-depth analysis about current streaming providers like Netflix and Amazon, as well as upcoming services like NBCUniversal's Peacock and WarnerMedia's HBO Max. So keep it locked on IGN this week for all of your streaming needs.
Today, we're reviewing Apple TV+ to find out how the tech giant's new platform compares to the rest.
Of all the top-tier streaming services currently available (Netflix, Amazon, Hulu) and those still in development (Peacock, HBO Max), Apple's new platform is by far the most perplexing. Unlike its aforementioned competitors, Apple TV+ does not include an impressive library of old movies and TV shows to stream at launch. And apart from a nature documentary called The Elephant Queen and four adult original series -- For All Mankind (review here), See (review here), Dickinson (review here), and The Morning Show (review here) -- there's not much to watch for $4.99 per month in the US.

But when you're a tech giant like Apple with a market value of $1 trillion, why not debut your own shiny new streaming service? (All the cool kids are doing it these days.) Apple may not have existing IP like Disney Plus' Marvel and Star Wars, or HBO Max's Game of Thrones and Gossip Girl, but it does have one enviable advantage - its install base is massive: 1.4 billion active Apple devices in existence (as of January 2019), and 217.72 million iPhones sold in 2018 alone. And if you've purchased a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod after September 10, 2019, then you get a year of free Apple TV+ service included (check out where and how to watch Apple TV+ here).

In its infancy, Apple TV+ appears to be an attempt for the company to keep its millions of customers locked within its vast tech ecosystem via free subscriptions with new Apple purchases. But even if you are a current Apple device owner or thinking of picking up a piece of its hardware in the future, is Apple TV+ the right streaming platform for you? Let's weigh the pros and cons.

Apple TV Plus Movies and TV Shows

Apple TV Plus' lack of content at launch puts the streamer at a colossal disadvantage when it comes to attracting new subscribers. At the time of publication, Apple's meager library includes four adult-themed originals (mentioned above), one nature documentary (The Elephant Queen), three kids' shows (Helpsters, Ghostwriter, Snoopy in Space), and Oprah's Book Club. Of the four adult originals, only Jason Momoa's post-apocalyptic epic See and Ronald D. Moore's space-faring For All Mankind received high praise from IGN.

Following in the digital footsteps of VUDU and Amazon Prime Video, Apple wisely offers an à la carte streaming service, which gives you the option of subscribing to "premium network channels" like HBO, Starz, Showtime, and CBS All Access without ever having to leave the app. And while it's a smart way to try and become a one-stop-shop for its users, it's hardly revolutionary. (Especially since Amazon Prime Video offers the same concept, in addition to a vast library of acquisitions and a growing slate of originals.)


In the coming months, Apple's library will grow with the help of M. Night Shyamalan's psychological thriller Servant, and a gritty crime thriller called Truth Be Told, starring Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul and The Shape of Water's Octavia Spencer. There are other shows in development by industry titans like J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg, but they're still months from premiere. And while the assemblage of talent in front of and behind the camera is impressive, there's simply not enough content available if Apple TV+ hopes to compete in this already crowded streaming landscape.
Without a robust library of acquired and original content, Apple TV Plus' strongest attribute is its smooth user interface. The tech giant has proven over the years that it knows how to create an easy-to-navigate platform with its tried-and-true operating system for the iPhone, so it's nice to see that Apple has brought that same seamless experience to streaming. And just like Amazon, Disney+, and Netflix, Apple TV+ offers its subscribers the ability to download episodes for offline viewing. Other perks include 4K HDR streaming for no extra charge (we're looking at you, Netflix).


The only problem with the user interface is its lack of availability. Apple TV+ exists within the Apple TV app, which at the time of publication, is not available for PS4, Xbox One, or Nintendo Switch. There's also no Apple TV app on Android mobile devices -- Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and Disney+ are available on both Apple and Android devices.

Check out the creepy trailer for M. Night Shyamalan's psychological thriller, Servant, in the video below:

At $4.99 per month (or $49.99 for a year) Apple TV+ is one of the cheapest subscription streaming services (Netflix's 4K premium tier costs $15.99), however, when you compare it to newcomer Disney+, which is offering its service for just a few dollars more per month and including over 600 movies and TV shows at launch, it's hard to justify the cost. Perhaps the streamer will be more attractive once a few more movies and shows become available, but for now, Apple TV+ is an underwhelming service.

Verdict

Apple TV Plus' smooth user interface and easy-to-use offline viewing features can't make up for its lackluster library of movies and TV shows to stream. With only a handful of shows and movies to watch at launch, even the $4.99 per month price tag is too high.