Following earlier reports that Apple is constraining retail supplies of the current Apple TV ahead of an imminent refresh, more evidence has surfaced that Apple is ramping up to launch a new set-top box.
Prominent retailers have seen inventory for the current Apple TV dwindle over the last few weeks.
AppleInsider reports:
For three consecutive weeks, the Cupertino-based company has failed to make good on its promissory to restock indirect channel partners with fresh inventory of the existing $99 Apple TV product, say people familiar with matter.
Instead, partners and channel members have seen Apple push back deliveries each consecutive week by one additional week — a practice that almost always foreshadows a formal discontinuation of a product ahead of new models.
Retailers like Amazon and MacConnection are showing limited availability for the second-gen Apple TV. Interestingly, Best Buy’s online store is showing the Apple TV as completely sold out. Apple’s online store is still showing the set-top box as “In Stock.”
The next-gen Apple TV is expected to use the A5X processor and play 1080p video. Rumors suggest that the device will be announced at the iPad 3 announcement next Wednesday.
Alex Heath is a journalist who works for Tech Insider. He’s the former co-host of The CultCast. He has been quoted by the likes of the BBC, KRON 4 News, and books like “ICONIC: A Photographic Tribute to Apple Innovation.” He lives in Lexington, Kentucky. If you want to pitch a story, share a tip, or just get in touch, additional contact information is available on his personal site. Follow him on Twitter.
14 responses to “Major Retailers See Dwindling Apple TV Stock Ahead Of Imminent Refresh”
Darn! I bought one last month. Well, at least they’re cheap.
Even with the relatively cheap price, what features would an Apple TV need for you to upgrade?
I’m pretty pleased with the current Apple TV. Surely it will get some of the new features via a software update.
I don’t care that much about 1080p or Siri, as some people have suggested, though I expect both are coming.
I’d like to see:* A major UI overhaul.Frontrow is pretty intuitive, but let’s face it — it’s getting pretty dated.* Cheaper video content. $50 bucks for a “season pass”? Kiss my ass.* App support. Apple could revolutionize two markets at once here — home consoles and set top boxes. The pieces of the puzzle are all there, but I’m betting this at least another generation off.
Best Buy stores are also missing the Apple TV. If you type your zip code:
UNAVAILABLE
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Add Target to the list
out of stock online
Apple TV® – Black (MC572LL/A)
not sold in stores
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Has Wal-Mart ever sold it? It doesn’t even list Apple TV other than “For Dummies” and other Apple products.
Hulu would be nice, considering this is a device for the TV. Apps would be great too.
I would love DVR functionality, but that will never happen.
Dude, I bought one last week!
can’t wait to steal the new one outta an apple store… nice little box. perfect for pockets..
TFT
Any word on Safari for Apple TV?
Better 1080p support with some freaking 1080p content in the store. Better sound support. I would love an ATV box that would allow me to route my blu-ray and tivo through it so that I don’t have to bother with changing input channels all the time as well.
not to mention that sometimes when streaming off my home server it can be a tad jerky which I suspect is either the processor or it needs more space for caching the stream. The latter is more likely since many of the files on my server are rather large (5-10 GB)
I actually don’t see Siri on this. At least not the way that many folks think. I could see Siri being worked into the Apple Remote app so that you could Siri on your phone and the app would then parse over the appropriate commands to the TV. But I don’t see it on the ATV directly
Hulu is goof about their contracts so I don’t see it happening. More of the iOS network apps like ABC player might
I have no idea what that means.
Roku box and some Blu-Ray players hook up to TV and have Hulu, so why not Apple TV box?
How about true streaming like netflix so you dont have to wait to download the freakin movies!