New to iCloud? Apple will give you the first month’s storage for free

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Apple wants more iCloud subscribers.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple is looking to hook more people to subscribe to its iCloud storage service — and like good salespeople they’re willing to give you the first hit for free, after which you’ll have to start paying.

At present, Apple offers you a tiny amount of storage for free as a preview of its iCloud storage. However, this is such a small amount that users will run out even if they’re only backing up the videos and photos on their iPhone. For most customers, it’s therefore necessary to pay a monthly subscription fee to Apple to cover all your storage needs.

Pushing more folks to sign up

To prompt more folks to sign up, Apple is now offering users the first month’s storage for free. (Unfortunately this is for new customers only, so existing iCloud subscribers won’t be getting a month of their subscription free of charge.)

A 50GB iCloud storage package sets you back $0.99 per month, while $2.99 will get you 200GB and a massive 2TB for $9.99 per month. The free first month is available for all of these tiers.

By offering you one month for free, the idea is that you get a few weeks to decide whether iCloud storage is for you. More realistically, though, by the end of the month you’ll be so used to having the extra storage at your fingertips that the decision to sign up permanently will be little more than a formality!

While iCloud has been around since 2011, Apple is particularly keen to push it as part of its efforts to increase the company’s Services business. At present, around 30 percent of Apple’s business comes from subscription services like iCloud and Apple Music. That figures adds up to approximately $40 billion in annual revenue.

Via: Apple Insider

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