Apple recently announced strong performance for its services in 2025 and previewed a series of major updates for 2026. With its massive global user base built on hardware like the iPhone, Apple's services revenue has become the company's second-largest growth engine. From expanding entertainment content to deepening payment functionality, Apple is leveraging the stickiness of its ecosystem to convert over 20 billion active devices worldwide into a continuous stream of service subscriptions.
Audio-visual entertainment: Exclusive F1 race broadcasts, Apple Music's 10th anniversary and upgraded karaoke function.
Regarding streaming video, Apple TV+ has confirmed that starting this March, it will become the streaming platform for all Formula 1 (Formula One) races.Exclusive broadcasting platformIt is expected to attract a large number of sports fans to subscribe. At the same time, popular original content such as the fourth season of The Morning Show, the second season of Severance, and the third season of Foundation will also return, and the series Neuromancer, adapted from the classic science fiction novel, and the movie The Mandalorian and the Gugu will be launched.
As Apple Music celebrates its 10th anniversary, it has not only achieved its best-ever streaming and subscription results but has also enhanced its interactive experience. The highly acclaimed "Sing Out" feature has been further upgraded, allowing users to turn their iPhones into microphones and project lyrics and visuals onto their TVs via "Connect Camera" for a more immersive home karaoke experience.
In addition, Apple Music has also extended its reach beyond the Apple ecosystem by collaborating with car manufacturers and platforms such as GM and TuneIn.
Lifestyle Applications: Wallet integrates ID cards and maps for greater personalization
Apple Pay and the Wallet app continue to expand their functionality, offering payment services in 89 markets worldwide, and further promoting the adoption of digital identity documents. In Japan,iPhone is the first to support My Number CardIt became the first international identity document supported by the Wallet app, and in the United States, it launched Digital ID, which allows users to store passport information in their iPhones and Apple Watches and can be used for airport security checks.
With the release of iOS 26, the Wallet app will be able to automatically organize order information in emails using Apple Intelligence and support banks in offering installment payment options in physical stores. Apple Maps will add a "Preferred Routes" feature and expand the Detailed City Experience to places like Singapore and Monaco, even providing a dedicated 3D landmark experience for the F1 Monaco Grand Prix.
Health and Connectivity: Fitness+ officially launches in Taiwan; iCloud adds Apple Invites feature.
For Taiwanese users, the best news is undoubtedly the expansion of Apple Fitness+. This fitness subscription service will be available in 2025.To carry out the largest-scale expansionFitness+ has expanded to 28 countries and regions, including Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore, and will enter the Japanese market earlier this year. Fitness+ offers more than 8000 4K fitness workouts and allows AirPods Pro 3 users to see real-time data directly on the screen.
On the iCloud side, a new Apple Invites feature has been added, allowing users to easily create event invitations and reply to them on any device. iCloud+ subscribers also enjoy unlimited event creation privileges and advanced privacy protection features.
Hardware market share drives service growth; ecosystem becomes the strongest moat.
The explosive growth of Apple's services revenue is inextricably linked to the high penetration rate of its hardware devices in the global market. According toStatistics from market research firm Counterpoint ResearchAlthough Apple faces fierce competition in the global smartphone market, it still maintains a strong dominant position in the high-end market, and the number of active iPhone devices worldwide continues to reach new highs.
The massive hardware infrastructure provides an excellent breeding ground for Apple's services business. As users get used to using iPhones to make Apple Pay payments, listening to Apple Music with AirPods, watching Apple TV+ on iPads, and even recording Fitness+ exercise data with Apple Watches, the boundaries between hardware and software services gradually become blurred, forming a highly sticky closed-loop ecosystem.
Analysis of viewpoints
The updated content reveals that Apple's strategy has shifted from simply "selling hardware" to "managing users' lives." Whether it's vying for F1 broadcasting rights to strengthen the irreplaceable nature of Apple TV+, or integrating digital identity documents into the wallet, the goal is to ensure that users can't live without Apple's services in all aspects of life, from food and clothing to housing, transportation, education, and entertainment.
In particular, with the introduction of more on-device intelligence features in iOS 26, such as personalized recommendations in Maps and order management in Wallet, Apple is attempting to build a stronger competitive advantage in the AI era through a more private and convenient experience. For users in Taiwan, the introduction of Apple Fitness+ completes an important piece of Apple's health ecosystem locally.
