Stock of the Apple TV has been quickly dwindling across Apple retail stores in the U.S. in recent months, fueling speculation that the device will soon be replaced by a new model with the “J33” codename that recently popped up in the company’s iOS 5.1 beta software.
One report claims that 98% of Apple retail stores in the U.S. now have no Apple TV stock at all.
MacRumors reports more and more Apple stores are running out of the current Apple TV, with just four of the 250 U.S. stores with the Apple TV available for immediate pickup:
By our most recent count, 98% of Apple’s 246 U.S. stores are currently out of stock, leaving only four with the Apple TV available for immediate pickup during store hours.
Those four stores include:
- San Francisco flagship (San Francisco, California)
- Higuera Street (San Luis Obispo, California)
- SoHo (New York, New York)
- South Hills Village (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
If you attempt to order an Apple TV from a store without stock, the earliest date for pickup is March 9. Some stores won’t have availability until March 15, according to the report.
Apple’s online store continues to show the device as “in stock” and available for ordering, with estimated shipping for Thursday, March 8 — one day after Apple’s media event — if customers choose the free delivery option. Pay for next day delivery, however, and your Apple TV will arrive on Wednesday, March 7, apparently.
With numerous reports suggesting a new Apple TV is on the way, and little stock available for the current model, it’s looking increasingly likely a new model will be accompanying Apple’s next-generation iPad at tomorrow’s event. Will it be Tim Cook’s “one more thing”?
