Theta Android News: 2020

Tuesday, July 14, 2020

Google Play Pass now offers a $30 yearly subscription

Google Play Pass in Hand

Credit: Phillip Prado / Android Authority

Google Play Pass now has a $30 annual subscription instead of the usual monthly fee.
The app service has also expanded to nine countries, including Canada and the UK.
Google has added over 150 new titles in recent months.

Google Play Pass just became decidedly more accessible, including to non-Americans.

As of this week, the ad-free Android app service will offer a $30 yearly subscription plan in the US alongside the original $5 per month option. That's considerably more affordable if you intend to commit to Play Pass in the long term. You can switch to the annual plan by visiting the Play Pass tab in the Play Store and tapping "Upgrade to a yearly subscription."

Play Pass is also expanding beyond the US for the first time, albeit only with the monthly plan. Subscriptions are coming to nine countries this week, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Spain, and the UK. Google didn't outline pricing for these countries.

The company is keen to tout the size of Play Pass' catalog as it reaches a wider audience. The service launched with 350 titles, but has added over 150 apps and games in recent months. Most are indie releases, although there are high-profile additions like the Sega classic Sonic the Hedgehog and titles from Sesame Workshop.

Google didn't say how many people were subscribed to Play Pass when providing its update. However, the annual plan improves the Android-only subscription's competitiveness with Apple Arcade, which has had a $50 yearly option since December 2019. While you probably won't be choosing a phone based on the price of a flat-rate app download service, aggressive pricing could give you a reason to stay with a platform.

Next: Google Play Pass games and apps: All titles announced so far

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Apple iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro: Everything we know (Updated: July 14)

Apple loeo on the back of an iPhone 11

Credit: Ryan-Thomas Shaw / Android Authority

Update, July 14, 2020 (01:00 PM ET): We've updated the Apple iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro rumors below with new info related to the sizes of the new models.

Original article: Earlier this year, we were treated to a new smartphone from Apple called the iPhone SE (2020 edition). The entry-level phone offered a lot of iPhone staples for just $399. However, what about the real iPhones? Well, we still expect to see the Apple iPhone 12 series this year.

Although the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic could cause some delays or other problems for the next batch of iPhones, we have enough information on the new devices to say with confidence that we will still see the Apple iPhone 12 this year. Obviously, Apple's usual launch event could look much different, but it would be incredibly surprising if the phone series didn't land this year.

Below, you'll find a summary of all the credible rumors we know so far about the Apple iPhone 12 series. Keep in mind that Android OEMs tend to follow what Apple does, so the news you read in this article could affect you even if you don't buy iPhones.

Speaking of which, why not click one of the poll answers below before checking out the rest of this article?

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iPhone 12: Name and release date

iphone 11 rear

Credit: Andrew Grush / Android Authority

Apple's naming scheme for its smartphones used to be very straightforward. However, with the launch of the iPhone X in 2017 things got pretty confusing. While we don't know for certain, we are fairly sure that the Apple iPhone 12 series is what's on the way this year, and we can assume that based on the history of iPhone names.

Check out what we mean below. The bolded names indicate devices in which Apple largely revamped the design as compared to the previous year:

2007 — iPhone
2008 — iPhone 3G
2009 — iPhone 3GS
2010 — iPhone 4
2011 — iPhone 4S
2012 — iPhone 5
2013 — iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C
2014 — iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus
2015 — iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus
2016 — iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus
2017 — iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X
2018 — iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max
2019 — iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max

So far, all rumors point to this year's iPhones featuring a significant redesign as compared to last year (see a few sections down below for more on this). Since Apple's history suggests that new designs tend to get new numbers, we're inclined to believe that we can expect the Apple iPhone 12 series to launch this Fall. It is unlikely there will be an iPhone 11S series.

Speaking of Fall, when will we actually see these devices launch? Nearly every major iPhone release has happened in September, so it's reasonable to assume we'll see the Apple iPhone 12 series in September 2020. Once again, the COVID-19 pandemic could throw a wrench into those plans, but we would feel confident putting money down on Apple sticking to that timeframe.

However, just because Apple will likely launch the iPhones in September doesn't mean that's when they'll be available. Lots of rumors are suggesting the pandemic could delay the production of one or more phones in the line. That means it's very possible Apple will launch the phones but then you won't be able to buy one for a while afterward.

Is 2020 the year of new iPhone models?

Rumored lineup of 2020 iPhones MacRumors

The list of iPhone releases in the previous section paints a clear picture: as time goes on, Apple is releasing more and more iPhones each year. We already have one new iPhone for 2020, and we expect Apple to have its biggest launch ever this Fall with the Apple iPhone 12 series possibly containing a total of four phones.

If you'll remember, last year we saw the iPhone 11 (which was the spiritual successor to the iPhone XR), the iPhone 11 Pro (the spiritual successor to the iPhone XS), and the iPhone 11 Pro Max (the spiritual successor to the iPhone XS Max). This year will be different, though.

Check out this leaked image from the frequently correct Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo:

Apple iPhone 12 series per Ming-Chi Kuo MacRumors

The 4.7-inch iPhone shown in the image above lines up perfectly with the iPhone SE launched in April 2020, so that one is accounted for. That just leaves us to speculate on why there could be two higher-end devices in the Apple iPhone 12 series that are the same size.

One theory is that the 5.4-inch device and one of the 6.1-inch devices are actually two variants of the iPhone 12. The smaller one might be the vanilla iPhone 12 while the larger would be the iPhone 12 Max. Then the other 6.1-inch device would be the iPhone 12 Pro with a similar design and size as the iPhone 12 Max but with some upgraded specs, and the 6.7-inch device would be the iPhone 12 Pro Max.

This naming theory lines up with rumors we've seen, like this one from Display Supply Chain Consultants. As we get closer to the launch of the Apple iPhone 12 series, we'll likely have a much better idea of what's on the way. All we can say now is that it's highly likely there will be four iPhone 12 models.

For an idea of how these models could compare to one another as far as sizing goes, check out the physical mockups below, courtesy of MacRumors.

iPhone 12 Size Comparisons

Credit: YouTube

According to rumors, the mockups above would represent the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max from left to right. The iPhone 12 Max would likely be the same size as the middle phone but have the dual-lens camera module of the phone on the left.

We have more info related to the possible designs of the iPhone 12 series in the next section.

iPhone 12 series design: A new notch and more

Apple iPhone 12 Mockup

Credit: C. Scott Brown / Android Authority

Last year, Apple kept the iPhone design very much the same as the 2018 models. The only drastic change was the rear camera module, which turned into a rounded square to make room for the three lenses on the back of the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max. With the Apple iPhone 12 series, though, we expect the whole phone to get redesigned.

The first rumor we've heard is that the notch on the front of the iPhones could see a significant size reduction. The current notch spans about half of the top of an iPhone, while the new design could reduce that to just 1/4 of the display width. This would be a welcome change as most Android phones have either removed the notch entirely or cut it down so much that it's barely there.

Camera shootout: Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max

Last fall, Apple came out swinging with the iPhone 11 Pro Max. The fruit company's latest flagship has an advanced triple-camera system meant to provide users with the ultimate mobile photography experience. Samsung rose to …

However, Apple would still need the notch to be big enough to carry all the Face ID tech needed to allow for 3D mapping of one's face. We don't expect any of the devices in the Apple iPhone 12 series to have fingerprint sensors, which means you would need Face ID for biometric security. As such, don't expect a display cutout, waterdrop notch, or other solution for iPhones this year.

Elsewhere, we've heard quite a few rumors that Apple could bring back the metal rim design of the iPhone 4 which it already did on the recent iPad Pro. This would mean that the Apple iPhone 12 series could have flat screens rather than the curved glass panels on all current models (except the iPhone SE). There are a lot of harsh critics of curved glass displays on smartphones, so this will likely be good news for them.

Early on, there were rumors Apple would either remove the Lightning port on the Apple iPhone 12 series and only rely on wireless solutions or finally make the jump to a standard USB-C port. However, all rumors at the moment point to the iPhone 12 series continuing to use the Lightning connector. It's far more likely next year's iPhones will abandon a wired port completely.

Strangely, the latest rumors suggest that Apple will ship some or all of the iPhone 12 series phones without chargers in the boxes. This cost-cutting move will likely be marketed as a "go green" effort on Apple's part, but it could also be a test run to see how consumers might react to a portless iPhone in the future.

Finally, according to ET News, there could be six different colorways in the iPhone 12 line. Unfortunately, the outlet did not divulge what those colors might be.

iPhone 12: Specs and features

Apple iPhone 12 Pro Design Leak EverythingApplePro

Credit: Adamya Sharma / Android Authority

Some specifications of the Apple iPhone 12 series are fairly assured. For example, it's nearly certain that we'll see the proprietary A14 chipset in the higher-end iPhones as the 2019 iPhones all had the A13 Bionic.

It's also nearly certain that the Qualcomm X55 modem will be included in the Apple iPhone 12 series. This will enable iPhones to be 5G-capable, which is essential for Apple to stay competitive. At this point, you can take the inclusion of the X55 modem as a given, since Apple had to eat some serious humble pie to get it.

The 2019 batch of iPhones were the first to come with 6GB of RAM, so it's reasonable to assume at least the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max will have 6GB or more. The lower-end models in the Apple iPhone 12 series could have only 4GB, though.

Some iPhone specs are a given, like the inclusion of the X55 modem. But we can also assume some other specs, too.

It's also possible that Apple will finally increase the entry-level amount of internal storage on iPhones this year. The iPhone SE — which, again, only costs $399 — comes with 64GB of storage at the minimum. Therefore, it would seem silly for the high-end models to also start at 64GB. Sure enough, we recently heard a rumor suggesting that 128GB could be the new baseline for high-end iPhones. This would be great news for Pixel fans, as it would likely force Google to do the same with the Google Pixel 5.

These rumors all are backed up by a leak from Display Supply Chain Consultants. Check out the chart below to see what we mean:

iPhone 12 Display Information Leak MacRumors

Credit: C. Scott Brown / Android Authority

We also heard a rumor that the iPhone 11 series could have 120Hz display refresh rates. This would be the first time an iPhone has had anything higher than the usual 60Hz. However, not everyone agrees on this feature's inclusion with the iPhone 12 line, so the jury is still out.

Although we don't have much confirmed info on internal specs of the iPhone 12 series, we do have confirmation on a lot of the software features the phones will provide. That's because Apple recently held its WWDC 2020 keynote in which it detailed many of the high-profile features coming to iOS 14. If you want to find out what the new operating system can do, check out our summary here.

Finally, the iPhone 12 series might come with some upgraded video capture abilities. According to one rumor, the two iPhone 12 Pro models this year might be able to record 4K video at both 120fps and 240fps. Current iPhones are limited to 4K at 60fps and 1080p at 240fps.

iPhone 12: Price and availability

Credit: Ryan-Thomas Shaw / Android Authority

Here are the starting prices for the iPhone 11 series:

$699 — iPhone 11
$999 — iPhone 11 Pro
$1,099 — iPhone 11 Pro Max

With the expected inclusion of 5G support as well as the new revamped designs, one would assume the Apple iPhone 12 series will be more expensive. However, early rumors suggest that Apple could keep iPhone 12 pricing basically the same as the iPhone 11 series. According to those rumors, this is what the iPhone 12 series might cost:

Leaked iPhone 12 pricing (rumor only):

5.4-inch iPhone 12: $649
6.1-inch iPhone 12 Max: $749
6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro: $999
6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max: $1,099

If these prices end up being true, it would be great news for consumers. Earlier this year, Apple competitor Samsung launched the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra — which starts at a jaw-dropping $1,400 — and that would look ridiculously over-priced against a $1,099 iPhone 12 Pro Max.

Still, the pricing list above is only rumored at this point, so don't take it to the bank just yet.

As usual, though, you can expect the iPhone 12 series to be available all around the world with similar models in all the usual countries. If there's one thing you can depend on with Apple is no region-specific nonsense making things confusing for buyers (hint hint, Android OEMs).

OnePlus explains Nord design, true costs in video interview

oneplus nord design mkbhd

Credit: Marques Brownlee / YouTube

OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei has officially revealed the Nord's design in an interview with Marques Brownlee.
The design was changed late — OnePlus originally had a more experimental phone in mind.
Pei also described the true costs of features like NFC and IP-rated water resistance.

The OnePlus Nord's design is a poorly kept secret at this stage, but that didn't stop company co-founder and director Carl Pei from revealing a few more tidbits about the more affordable phone ahead of its July 21 debut.

In an interview with YouTube creator Marques Brownlee, Pei (who was conspicuously wearing true wireless OnePlus Buds) officially revealed the Nord's design, which unsurprisingly matches earlier teases. However, he added that the final look was introduced relatively late into the design process — before then, it had an unusual back with three square camera lenses in an L-shaped layout.

OnePlus switched to the more conservative styling out of practicality. The earlier approach worked if OnePlus wanted to be "daring" and treat the Nord as an "experiment," according to Pei, but the company felt that a familiar design language from other models would help sell more phones. The switch delayed development by about a month, but Pei believed it was worthwhile.

The executive also discussed one of the more elusive aspects of phone design: the true manufacturing costs. He stressed that the bill of materials (that is, the raw component cost) was only one part of the price and didn't include various operational expenses, but was willing to share key figures.

The interview doesn't leave many surprises for the Nord's formal introduction.

NFC, for instance, costs OnePlus about $4 to add. An IP resistance rating costs roughly $15, mostly for the testing equipment and staff. The Nord won't be IP-rated despite dust- and water-resistant elements, but that's partly because it's not designed for "extreme use cases," Pei said.

An AMOLED screen is approximately twice as expensive as a comparable LCD, the director added, although the expenses for a 90Hz display have come down thanks to sheer volume. And while headphone jacks don't cost that much by themselves, there is a "mechanical" cost in terms of the space they occupy.

The interview doesn't leave many surprises for the Nord's formal introduction. The exact pricing (besides the sub-$500 target) is still unknown, though, and it's unclear just how that "highly limited" North American beta program will work. Nonetheless, the chat makes clear that a lot is riding on the Nord's success. This is OnePlus' chance to get back to its low-cost roots and expand its audience.

Next: Everything you need to know about OnePlus Nord pre-orders

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What is Peacock? Here’s what we know (Update: PS4 app, but no Roku or Fire TV)

Update: July 14, 2020: We have updated the article to show that Peacock will launch a Sony PlayStation 4 app the week of July 20. However, the service will apparently launch July 15 without Roku or Amazon Fire TV apps.

Pre-order Peacock

The video streaming service boom continues. NBCUniversal, owned by Comcast, has announced details of its upcoming streaming service, which will be called Peacock.

The best streaming services of 2020 — Netflix, Disney Plus, and more

Got yourself a new streaming device, TV, or phone? Looking for some great content to watch? This is the guide for you. In the last decade, millions of Americans have cut the cord and said goodbye …

So what will the Peacock steaming service bring to the table, and will it be able to stand out from the already crowded list of premium video streaming services? Here's everything we know so far about Peacock.

What is Peacock?

As we mentioned, Peacock is the upcoming premium video streaming service that will be run by NBCUniversal. The Comcast-owned media company announced plans to launch a streaming service a number of months ago. It will be the home for classic and recent shows from NBCUniversal's various broadcast and cable networks, along with films from Universal Pictures, Dreamworks Animation, and Focus Features. In addition, Peacock will launch a number of exclusive new TV shows and movies for the service, which will include reboots of a number of well-known properties.

Peacock will be led by Matt Strauss, who previously was the head of Comcast's Xfinity cable products.

Why did NBCUniversal call their streaming service Peacock?

nbc peacock

Using the name Peacock as the label for the NBCUniversal streaming service is a nod to the early days of television. As the 1960s began, most TV shows were still broadcast in black and white. However, the NBC TV network was, at the time, owned by the electronics product maker RCA, and it wanted consumers to purchase its new color televisions. To encourage this, Forward.com reports that RCA commissioned a new NBC logo that would play in front of its shows, showing a stylized peacock that showed off all of the primary and secondary colors in its "feathers".

The logo for the new Peacock streaming service still has the same colors featured in the old NBC logo as dots on the right side.

Availability and launch date

Peacock is now available in limited form for Comcast Xfinity X1 and Flex customers. The rest of the US will get access to the Peacock streaming service starting July 15.

Platforms and devices

So far, NBCUniversal has revealed that for the July 15 launch, Peacock will be available on iOS and Android mobile devices. It will also be available on Android TV smart televisions and set-top boxes, Apple TV boxes, and Microsoft's Xbox One game console. The app will also be available on select Vizio SmartCast TVs and LG Smart TVs and will be supported on Chromecast dongles and TVs. The week of July 20, a Peacock app will launch on Sony's Playstation 4 game console.

At the time of this writing, there are currently no plans to launch Peacock apps for the popular Roku and Amazon Fire TV set-top boxes, sticks and smart TVs. We will update this post when more platform information is revealed.

Pricing

There will be two tiers of Peacock subscriptions. The first one, Peacock Free, will be completely free to access, with ads. The other, Peacock Premium, will have more content but will have a price tag for most customers.

Peacock Free: The free, ad-supported versions of the service will give subscribers over 13,000 hours of programming. Current freshmen shows will have their new episodes available to watch the next day after they are broadcast on Peacock. This tier will also have complete classic TV series to watch, along with a selection of popular movies The tier will include curated daily news and sports programming including the Olympics, and some Spanish-language content. The free tier will give subscribers a few episodes of Peacock original shows to watch.

Peacock Premium: This tier will have over 20,000 hours of content for subscribers. Subscribers will get access to all Peacock exclusive shows, along with more sports coverage and next-day access to current seasons of returning broadcast series. Fans of The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, and Late Night with Seth Myers, can watch new episodes of those shows via Peacock at 8 pm ET and 9 pm ET, respectively. That's a few hours before those episodes debut on NBC.

Peacock Premium will normally cost $4.99 a month, with ads. However, if you are a Comcast and Cox cable subscriber, you get the ad-supported Peacock Premium for free. If they want to get rid of the ads for most shows, those users can spend $5 a month. Everyone else can get the ad-free version of Peacock Premium for $9.99.

Android and Android TV users will be able to access the ad-based version of Peacock Premium for free from the launch date of July 15 to October 15.

Pre-order Peacock Premium before launch and save money

Before the July 15 national launch, NBCUniversal is offering customers a way to pre-order a year of Peacock Premium and save up to 40 percent versus the normal monthly price. The ad-supported version will cost $29.99 for one year until July 14. If you want the ad-free version, you can pre-order one year for $79.99, again until July 14.

Pre-order Peacock now

What classic TV shows will be on the service?

the-office

NBCUniversal claims when Peacock launches in April 2020, it will be the home for over 15,000 hours of streaming video content. In terms of TV shows, it will be the new exclusive streaming home for the US version of The Office. Currently, all nine seasons of the workplace sitcom are available on Netflix, where it has become the most popular TV series on any streaming service, according to NBCUniversal. However, The Office won't make its move to Peacock until January 2021.

park-and-recreation

The new service will also be the home for another highly popular classic workplace sitcom, Parks and Recreation. It's currently available to stream on Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video, but all of its episodes will move exclusively to Peacock, starting in October 2020.

Other classic and more recent TV shows that will be streamed on the service will include:

30 Rock
Bates Motel
Battlestar Galactica
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Cheers
Chicago Fire
Chicago P.D.
Chicago Med
Chrisley Knows Best
Covert Affairs
Downton Abbey
Everyone Loves Raymond
Frasier
Friday Night Lights
The George Lopez Show
House

Keeping Up with the Kardashians
King Of Queens
Law and Order
Law and Order: SVU
Law and Order: Criminal Intent
Married…With Children
Monk
Parenthood
Psych
Royal Pains
Saturday Night Live
Superstore
The Real Housewives franchise
Top Chef
Two and a Half Men
Will & Grace
Yellowstone

In addition, new episodes of two of NBC's late night talk shows, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Myers, will be streamed on Peacock a few hours before they are broadcast on NBC. The Tonight Show episodes will drop at 8 pm Eastern time each night, while Late Night will drop at 9 pm Eastern.

What movies will be shown on Peacock?

The Bourne Identity HBO movies

The service will also be the streaming home to a ton of classic and recent feature films from Universal Pictures and Focus Features. They will include movies in the highly popular Bourne, Fast and Furious and Despicable Me franchises. Other movies that will be shown on the service will include:

American Pie
Bridesmaids
Knocked Up
Meet the Parents
Meet the Fockers
A Beautiful Mind
Back to the Future
Brokeback Mountain
Casino

Dallas Buyers Club
Do the Right Thing
Erin Brockovich
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
Field of Dreams
Jaws
Mamma Mia!
Shrek
The Breakfast Club

In addition, the Peacock streaming service will be the home to over 3,000 hours of content from NBCUniversal's Spanish language cable TV network, Telemundo, including shows like 100 Dias Para Volver, Betty in NY, El Barón and Preso No. 1.

What exclusive TV shows and movies will be streamed on Peacock?

NBCUniversal has announced plans for quite a few original TV shows that will make their debuts exclusively for Peacock.

Launch shows

On July 15, the service will offer several exclusive shows and movies for the national launch of Peacock:

Brave New World – A series based on the classic sci-fi novel from Aldous Huxley, and starring Alden Ehrenreich and Demi Moore.
Intelligence – A UK comedy import starring Friends' David Schwimmer as an NSA agent who is the US liaison to the UK cyber crimes unit.
The Capture – This is another UK import. It's a crime drama about a soldier who gets accused of a murder
Psych 2: Lassic Come Home – This is the second TV movie based on the classic comedy-mystery series about a man who pretends to be a psychic to help solve crimes.
Curious George – An animated series based on the classic children's books about a curious monkey named George.
Where's Waldo – Another animated series, once again based on classic children's books about finding a man named Waldo.
Cleopatra in Space – An animated series about the previously untold teenage stories of the great Egyptian leader Cleopatra.
In Deep With Ryan Lochte – A reality series about the former US Olympic swimmer who is trying to get back on the Olympic team.
Lost Speedways With Dale Earnhardt Jr. – The former NASCAR racer is the host of this series that looks at forgotten and abandoned speedways.

Upcoming Reboots

The future of Peacock will include new reboots of at least three classic TV shows:

Battlestar Galactica – This would the second reboot for the 1978 space-based sci-fi TV show. Sam Esmail, who created the acclaimed TV series Mr. Robot, will be in charge of this new series.
Saved By The Bell – The teen comedy series will get a sequel-style reboot, and will feature original cast members Elizabeth Berkley and Mario Lopez.
Punky Brewster – Here's another sequel-style reboot, this one featuring Soleil Moon Frye reprising her role as a grown-up version of her orphan kid character from the original sitcom.

In addition, A.P. Bio, which ran for two seasons on NBC, will return for a third season exclusively on Peacock. Also, yet another (currently unnamed) spin-off of the Real Housewives reality show franchise will be streamed as an exclusive original for the service.

Upcoming original shows

Peacock will also be the home for a number of original TV shows as well:

Departure – This series stars Christopher Plummer, as he investigates the mysterious disappearance of a passenger plane.
Dr. Death – A drama based on the popular true-crime podcast. It will star Jamie Dornan, Alec Baldwin, and Christian Slater.
One of Us is Lying – A series based on the best-selling young-adult mystery novel.
Angelyne – A limited series starring Emmy Rossum based on the true story of the woman featured on a long-standing billboard in Hollywood.
Rutherford Falls – A comedy co-created by The Good Place creator Mike Schuur.
Straight Talk – A comedy co-created by Rashida Jones and Jada Pinkett Smith.
Armas de Mujer – A new Spanish-language dramedy series from the makers of La Reina del Sur.
Who Wrote That – A docuseries centering on the cast and crew of the NBC variety series Saturday Night Live.
Girls5Eva – Produced by Tina Fey, this comedy is about a fictional 90s girl group that reunites for one more chance at glory.

In addition, Peacock will also be the home for two upcoming untitled talk shows. One will be run by The Tonight Show's Jimmy Fallon, while the other will be a weekly talk show hosted by Amber Ruffin, a writer and performer for Late Night with Seth Myers.

Finally, Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation will both develop original films and series that will be streamed exclusively via Peacock.

What sports and news content will be available?

NBC is the home of the 2021 Summer Olympics in Japan. When the games finally begin after a year's delay, Peacock will be ready with tons of coverage:

Live coverage of both the Opening and Closing ceremonies from Tokyo before they are shown on NBC.
Three exclusive shows: Tokyo Live, with live coverage of a major Olympic event; Tokyo Daily Digest, with mid-day highlights, and Tokyo Tonight, which will complement NBC's nightly shows.
The Tokyo Paralympics will also be shown on Peacock with over 1,000 of content.

Soccer fans can also look forward to watching over 2,000 hours of Premier League games, including many games that are not shown on regular TV.

Could The Office get a reboot via Peacock?

The service will get the right to stream the back catalog of episodes from the US version of The Office in January 2021. However, the continued popularity of the show has caused many to speculate that Peacock could also be the home to a full-fledged reboot of the series with all-new episodes. In a chat with The Hollywood Reporter, Bonnie Hammer, the Chairman of Direct-to-Consumer and Digital Enterprises for NBCUniversal, stated, "It is my hope and goal that we do an Office reboot", and added, "It is my hope that we can figure what that great reboot would be. We are having conversations."

michael scott on Peacock

If an Office reboot does debut on Peacock, it likely won't involve its original star Steve Carell, who has stated on a number of occasions that he is not interested in revisiting his character of Dunder-Mifflin manager Michael Scott. Carell will next be seen in the first season of The Morning Show, one of the debut TV series on the upcoming Apple TV Plus streaming service that starts on November 1. After that, he's set to star in yet another workplace comedy series, Space Force, which is scheduled to debut on Netflix in 2019.

Will Peacock be successful?

There's no doubt that NBCUniversal has a lot of popular library content that it can use to fill out Peacock in the short term, and its plans for original content sound pretty nice on the surface, especially the new version of Battlestar Galactica. Having The Office as a streaming exclusive in January 2021 is also a feather in its cap. However, the simple fact is that there will be a ton of already established streaming services up and running by the time Peacock officially gets underway on April 2020, and it remains to be seen if consumers will have the money to pay for all of them, or if a few will have to go by the wayside. If that happens, Peacock could be one of those casualties.

Having said that, if NBCUniversal can indeed reboot The Office with a lot of its original cast and crew as an exclusive for Peacock, it could generate enough subscriptions for the service to keep the lights on.

Will you be signing up for Peacock when it launches in 2020, or will you wait until The Office debuts in 2021?

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