‘Smart’ Move? Rivals Apple, Samsung Join Hands To Provide Services On The Latter’s Hi-Tech Televisions 

For the first time, arch-rivals Samsung and Apple have joined hands to ensure the Samsung 2019 Smart TV models will offer various Apple services like Apple iTunes movies and TV shows as well as the Apple AirPlay 2 support, Telecom Talk reports.

Users owning Samsung TVs will now not need to connect onto the Apple TV box to watch TV shows from the iTunes store.

Samsung announced the collaboration at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2019.“In an industry first, a new iTunes Movies and TV Shows app will debut only on Samsung Smart TVs in more than 100 countries. AirPlay 2 support will be available on Samsung Smart TVs in 190 countries worldwide,” the statement said, according to IANS.

Apple had to re-evaluate its outlook on hardware and the pace at which it is shifting into a services company and collect transactions and other fees, especially after it reduced sales guidance following weak iPhone sales in China, Baron reported.

In a recent letter to shareholders, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that “services” was one of the categories which was growing while phone sales dipped in China. On 3 January, Apple reported the “blockbuster” holiday in its App store to assure investors that the services business and marketplace was healthy and growing.

Reports of Apple developing an Amazon Prime Video-like service known as the bundle also came through. This would combine video, music and Texture magazines to become a business worth $37 billion in revenue by 2025.

The latest collaboration could hurt its hardware services of Apple TV since it will give access to Apple services on various devices. However, the newest collaboration is building onto its deal with Amazon, where it brought Apple Music on Amazon Echo devices.