British Expect Apple Pay Debut, Live Streaming Service Coming On Monday
Apple will reportedly bring its mobile payment system, Apple Pay, to Britain this summer, The Telegraph reported on Saturday. Apple is expected to make the announcement on Monday in San Francisco at its annual conference for developers, the paper said.
Apple did not provide any comment.
With Apple Pay,users are able to pay by waving their handsets or smartwatches over terminals.
In the United States, where Apple Pay was introduced in October, the company has been aggressively courting retailers, although but many merchants remain skeptical about the payment service.
Retailers are citing insufficient customer demand, a lack of access to data generated in Apple Pay transactions and the cost of technology to facilitate the payments.
In January, Apple's CEO Tim Cook, citing internal data, said Apple Pay accounted for two out of three dollars spent in "contactless payments," but the company did not provide data to back up those numbers.
Apple WWDC 2015
Speaking of Apple's plans, Sony Music CEO Doug Morris confirmed that Apple would announce its streaming service at its Worldwide Developers Conference. "It’s happening tomorrow," Morris said, VentureBeat reports.
Another report from the WSJ claims that the new subscription-based streaming service will be accompanied by an ad-supported online-radio offering. Apple's service is expected to cost $10 per month for unlimited music with no free, ad-supported tier. The company is expected to promote the service with a lengthy trial period and a major advertising campaign.
One thing likely to be missing from the event will likelly be a new Apple TV set-top box. Apple has been working on a new device and had considered unveiling it at the conference, but decided not to include it in the keynote presentation Monday, according to a person familiar with Apple’s plans.
Apple is expected to focus on streamlining and improving the stability of its iOS software for iPhones and iPads.
There are expected to be new features including the ability to multitask, or have more than one app open on a screen at a time. The new iOS is also expected to include revamped Maps features, including directions.
9to5Mac.com has reported that Apple plans a new iOS feature called Proactive, similar to Google Now, the search giant’s service that anticipates a user’s needs based on information in his email and calendar.
Apple has said it will unveil a new software kit for developers making apps for its Watch. Jeff Williams, Apple’s senior vice president of operations, said at a conference last month that the new tools will allow developers to create apps that run directly on the Watch and can use the device’s sensors. Currently, Apple Watch apps run on the iPhone, causing some apps to perform slowly.
Apple's WWDC will take place on Monday, June 8th at 10AM PT / 1PM ET from the Moscone Center in San Francisco.