The new iCloud+ premium subscription will include several new privacy-centric features. However, MacRumors reports the service also will add something that wasn’t mentioned in Apple’s recent conference: custom email domain name creation. Detailed on the official iOS 15 features preview page, Apple reveals the premium service will allow subscribers to personalize their iCloud Mail address with a custom domain name. They also will be able to invite family members who use iCloud Mail to use that same domain name. This new feature will give users the ability to drop the “@icloud.com” domain from their email address and instead use something more personal or professional. While email personalization is not new to other services such as Google Workspace, it is something that iCloud Mail users have been missing. It could create more competition for these other email providers, and possibly pull people over to Apple’s new subscription plan. Some already are contemplating making the switch, with Twitter user @rom excited about the possibility of having a non-Apple-branded service that’s more portable. While, MacRumors user Bob24 says “Now this might get me to move my emails to iCloud! I have been refraining for a long time as I don’t want to be stuck with an Apple-branded domain which can’t be migrated to another provider if I want to.” While pricing for iCloud+ hasn’t been revealed yet, it presumably will be an increase over iCloud’s current subscriptions starting at $0.99/month for 50GB. Even so, it could be a solid competitor with services like Microsoft 365 ($6.99/month for 1TB) and Google Workspace ($6/month for 30GB).
