Apple intends to add the Beats Music platform to its suite of core apps with an iOS 8 update due early next year, according to reports on Wednesday.
The Financial Times‘ sources claim the music streaming service, which Apple gained ownership of earlier this year, will get a fixed spot within iOS alongside the likes of GarageBand and iMovie.
According to the report, the update could come as soon as March, but the FT doesn’t state whether that will be the iOS 8.2 update or a later version.
For a start, it would mean users wouldn’t have to search for Beats in the App Store, as they do with Spotify, which could encourage streaming novices to go with the pre-installed option rather than search for an alternative.
However, given the lack of success iTunes Radio has enjoyed since its launch, Apple would still have plenty of work to do in order to lure users away from existing platforms like Spotify and Pandora.
The move would also represent Apple’s first serious venture into the subscription streaming world beyond its iTunes Match platform which allows users to access all music in their library over the cloud for £22 a year.
Bringing Beats Music into the iOS stable would also contradict multiple reports suggesting Apple plans to ditch the Beats monicker and simply fold it into iTunes at the first opportunity. Other reports have claimed the firm will cut the cost of a subscription in half in the hope of ensnaring more users.
The FT also suggests Apple may be planning the integration to coincide with the launch of the Apple Watch, which has been promised for “early 2015.”
Would you be inclined to give Beats a shot if it came built in to your iPhone or iPad? Or is the brand already too far behind to compete? Share your thoughts below.
Read more: Apple iOS 8 review
Via: The Verge
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
