The first Apple Event this year took place yesterday and although it didn't get the hype nor catch much attention as compared to the recent ones, the March event still came with some good stuff, but the much-hyped AirPower did not feature.
iOS 12 Update
Apple announced the latest update for its native mobile operating system, iOS 12.2. There are not so many features but Owl, boar, giraffe and shark Animoji's have been added, slight changes in the AirPlay and Apple Music UI and compatibility with the new AirPods 2 are all included in this Update. For the security, it’s clear that Apple is actually living by the recent preaching, "Whatever happens on your iPhone stays on your iPhone". This update blocks any chance of your iPhone's location being tracked using its MAC address (a unique hexadecimal identifier assigned to a network device). More on the security updates here.
Apple Card
Based on Apple Pay, Apple card is a new and better credit card for payments (obviously) with simpler applications, no fees, lower interest rates, and better rewards. Using the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone, users who have signed up would be able to make instant payments in Apple Pay supported stores, track purchases, check balances, and see the due date for their bill. Aside from the digital card, Apple in partnership with Mastercard will also make Titanium cards available. According to them, the Titanium card would have No card Number, No CVV Security Code, No Expiry Date and No Signature. These would be ready for the public in the summer and so I'm looking forward to it.
Apple News+ and TV+ and Arcade
Over 300 unique digital premium newspapers and magazines are now available in Apple News. A subscription fee would have to be paid to get access to the content hence Apple News Plus.
A big Netflix competitor...
They also introduced Apple TV+ with Oprah Winfrey. The new video streaming service would link you directly to your favourite tv shows and series from your Apple TV app. But of course, users would have to pay for this although the pricing has not been confirmed and not so many popular movies have been announced as of now.
The last major highlight from the event is Apple Arcade, "the world's first gaming subscription service for mobile" according to Apple with over 100 new games to start with. These games would be available offline unlike Google Stadia, the new gaming streaming device (service) said to be "more powerful than the PS4 and Xbox One".
This service would also comply with Apple's Privacy by not "collecting any data about you and not tracking information about how you play the game without your consent". Both the Apple TV+ and the Arcade are all set to be ready by Fall (September) later the year. Be sure to check back for any latest updates.