APPLE has got tech fans speculating that a special giveaway could be coming very soon after posting a cryptic message on social media.
The iPhone maker has shared promotional images for Apple TV+ with the text: “See for yourself.”
The date January 4 to January 5 is also cited, which has sparked rumours that the tech giant may be planning to make its streaming service free for a weekend.
Promo images feature different Apple TV+ hits, with one on X featuring Gary Oldman in Slow Horses and another on Instagram appears to show Will Ferrell in Christmas movie Spirited.
Apple TV+ has released multiple award winning series like Ted Lasso and The Morning Show, as well as big cast films including Napoleon with Joaquin Phoenix and Killers of the Flower Moon starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
But its catalogue remains smaller than rivals like Netflix and Disney+.
And the market share for Apple TV+ is estimated to only be 0.3 per cent in the US, according to Nielsen data for June 2024.
So a free weekend allowing anyone to get a flavour of the platform’s high quality content might be a strategy to turn things around.
“Given January 4-5 falls on the weekend, the “See for yourself” tagline sounds like a free-weekend promo,” one user guessed on Reddit.
“it’ll either be a free weekend promo, or an event where they announce upcoming shows,” another wrote.
“Given that it’s 2 days, the former feels more likely.”
A third commented: “Yeah I keep thinking that because they set it up as a multiple day thing, it’s gonna be a free weekend.”
If it does turn out to be a free weekend event this would be a first for Apple.
Since launching in November 2019, the only free way people have been able to access Apple TV+ is via trial periods when buying a new iPhone or other select products.
Apple TV+ costs £8.99 per month in the UK and $9.99 in the US.
It’s one of a few streaming platforms that still allows people to share their subscription, with up to five others simultaneously.
Meanwhile, Netflix and Disney+ have enforced bans on sharing beyond your household.
Apple TV+ also has no ad-supported options.
Below are our picks for the best shows on the streaming service.
Bad Monkey – A one-time detective (Vince Vaughn) who’s hit a bit of a rough patch and is trying to get to the bottom of why someone found a severed arm.
Sunny – A woman named Suzie (Rashida Jones) whose husband and son are lost in a mysterious plane crash. To work through her grief, Suzie is given Sunny, a domestic robot with whom she forms a unique bond as she begins to uncover what happened to her family.
Loot – A woman named Molly (Maya Rudolph) who separates from her tech billionaire husband and devotes herself to philanthropic work.
The Big Door Prize – A 40-year-old high school teacher named Dusty who’s pretty content with his life until a magic machine shows up in his small town.
The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin – Dick Turpin (Noel Fielding) was a real highwayman in 18th-century England who was ultimately executed for horse theft.
Constellation – The eight-part thriller is about an astronaut (Noomi Rapace) who returns to Earth after a disaster in space to find things are very off.
Hijack – Idris Elba plays a corporate negotiator who finds himself trying to settle things with a group of hijackers who have taken over the flight he’s boarded to get home to his family.
Messi Meets America – The six-part docuseries is about all-star player Lionel Messi’s move to Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami club.
The Morning Show – When Alex Levy (Jennifer Aniston) loses her morning news program co-host Mitch Kessler (Steve Carell) following sexual misconduct accusations, she gets paired up with Bradley Jackson (Reese Witherspoon).
Shining Girls – Elizabeth Moss plays Kirby, a woman who believes a recent Chicago murder may be linked to an attack on her many years prior.
Ted Lasso – The inconceivable story of an American football coach (Jason Sudeikis) who has never watched a game of soccer somehow landing himself a job as coach of a (fictional) Premier League club and trying to make up for his total lack of qualifications by being a nice guy.
