Everything We Know About Apple's Streaming Service, Apple TV+

After a lot of rumors and making us wait for what feels like 10 years, Apple has launched its own streaming service, Apple TV+. There are many, many programs in the works at the streaming service, with a few of them already available on the service. Here's a brief rundown of everything we know so far.

Apple TV+ launched Nov. 1, 2019. Apple TV+ made its debut Nov. 1. In addition to competing with the likes of Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, the new service premiered the same month as Disney+, Disney's new streaming service, which launched on Nov. 12.

All of the shows coming to Apple TV+

It costs $4.99 a month. Apple TV+ costs $4.99 a month, putting it well below the monthly rates of most of its competitors.

It is available free for a year with the purchase of a new Apple device. Customers who purchased any new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, or iPod Touch after Sept. 10, 2019, can get a year of Apple TV+ for free. Beginning Nov. 1, customers were able to initiate the one-year free offer in the Apple TV app. They will have three months after device activation to claim the offer, or if the device was purchased and activated before the launch of Apple TV+, they had three months starting Nov. 1.

Not everything is available to binge. At launch, most series debuted on the streaming service with three episodes. New episodes were scheduled to roll out with each passing week. However, in some cases, full seasons of some series will be available to stream all at once.

It is an ad-free service. The on-demand subscription service, which is available in over 100 countries, does not feature any commercials.

These shows were available at launch: Apple TV+ kicked off its launch on Nov. 1 with See (an epic post-apocalyptic drama starring Jason Momoa and Alfre Woodard), The Morning Show (a Reese Witherspoon-produced drama about the TV news industry), Dickinson (a coming-of-age dramedy about the famous author), For All Mankind (a new space epic from Battlestar Galactica showrunner Ronald D. Moore), and The Elephant Queen (a one-of-a-kind nature documentary).

New shows will drop each month. Servant (a new thriller from M. Night Shyamalan) will premiere on Apple TV+ on Nov. 28. Truth Be Told (a series from Aaron Paul and Octavia Spencer about America's obsession with true crime) will launch on Friday, Dec. 6. Meanwhile, Little America (inspired by true stories from Epic Magazine), The Banker (a movie based on a true story about two black entrepreneurs in the 1950s starring Anthony Mackie and Samuel L. Jackson), and Hala (a 2019 Sundance darling about a muslim teenager struggling with her identity) will be available soon.

It is available through the Apple TV app, which is available on Roku, Fire TV, and various smart TVs.In order to maximize its potential audience, Apple has made the Apple TV app available to non-Apple TV users. If you own a Roku or Fire TV stick, or if you watch your favorite streaming services through a smart TV from a popular manufacturer, you too have access to Apple TV+ through the Apple TV app.

It's also worth noting that Apple is revamping its Apple TV app. The new version of the app will allow users to bundle existing streaming services like Hulu and Amazon Prime (Netflix will not be available) as well as pay-TV services such as Canal+, Charter Spectrum, and DIRECTV NOW. The new app, which looks similar to Amazon Prime's interface and offers suggestions for shows and movies from over 150 streaming apps, was made available in May to iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV users after a free software update.

Its talent roster features a number of impressive A-Listers. Apple's ability to snare top-tier talent is nothing short of impressive. Steven Spielberg, J.J. Abrams, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, Steve Carell, Chris Evans, Jason Momoa, and Octavia Spencer, among others, are all working with Apple. For more detailed information on the shows that make up Apple's programming slate, click here and here.

You are able to download shows for viewing anywhere. One of the best things about streaming services like Netflix and Amazon is the ability to download episodes of your favorite shows for viewing later. Apple TV+ also allows subscribers to download their favorite shows for viewing offline.