In what appears to be a first, Apple is providing free hardware for software developers.
Monday could be the lucky day for a limited number of developers who signed up for the Apple TV Developer Kit.
Not only will they get the new hardware six weeks in advance of it going on sale, they’ll get it for free, Apple has confirmed.
The new Apple TV is the first set-top box from Apple to include an App Store, which will allow users to download third-party apps.
Naturally, developers are eager to start building software for the device ahead of its debut in late October, and Apple is providing a number of Apple TVs for development and testing.
However, supply of the Apple TV Developer Kits is limited, so the company is holding a drawing on Monday September 14th. Developers who register before then on Apple’s website are eligible, and Apple has said that teams with apps already on the App Store will be given priority in the selection process.
Developers had assumed they would be charged the retail price for the hardware ($149-$199), plus shipping charges, but an official posing on Apple’s Developer Forums says that they will be charged just $1 (to verify the shipping address).
An Apple staffer known as pdm wrote.
I can confirm that you will only be charged the $1 for the development kit.
We’re really excited to be able to provide this opportunity to get your hands on this new hardware in advance of it being generally available. Can’t wait to see what amazing apps you all come up with!
I’d strongly encourage everybody to register to receive one (provided you meet the eligibility requirements). You can do so here: https://developer.apple.com/tvos/developer-kit/
As one developer noted in the forum thread: “Apple has never provided free hardware to developers.”
The Apple TV Developer Kit includes the new Apple TV, Apple TV Remote, power cord, Lightning to USB cable, USB-A to USB-C cable, and documentation. But typical of Apple secrecy, the lucky winners have to keep the device under wraps. They are not allowed to write about, review, or even display the Apple TV Developer Kit.
For the rest of us, the Apple TV will be available in late October. The 32GB version will cost $149 and a 64GB model will be $199.
Via @ stroughtonsmith.
Leander Kahney is the editor and publisher of Cult of Mac.
Leander is a longtime technology reporter and the author of six acclaimed books about Apple, including two New York Times bestsellers: Jony Ive: The Genius Behind Apple’s Greatest Products and Inside Steve’s Brain, a biography of Steve Jobs.
He’s also written a top-selling biography of Apple CEO Tim Cook and authored Cult of Mac and Cult of iPod, which both won prestigious design awards. Most recently, he was co-author of Cult of Mac, 2nd Edition.
Leander has been reporting about Apple and technology for nearly 30 years.
Before founding Cult of Mac as an independent publication, Leander was news editor at Wired.com, where he was responsible for the day-to-day running of the Wired.com website. He headed up a team of six section editors, a dozen reporters and a large pool of freelancers. Together the team produced a daily digest of stories about the impact of science and technology, and won several awards, including several Webby Awards, 2X Knight-Batten Awards for Innovation in Journalism and the 2010 MIN (Magazine Industry Newsletter) award for best blog, among others.
Before being promoted to news editor, Leander was Wired.com’s senior reporter, primarily covering Apple. During that time, Leander published a ton of scoops, including the first in-depth report about the development of the iPod. Leander attended almost every keynote speech and special product launch presented by Steve Jobs, including the historic launches of the iPhone and iPad. He also reported from almost every Macworld Expo in the late ’90s and early ‘2000s, including, sadly, the last shows in Boston, San Francisco and Tokyo. His reporting for Wired.com formed the basis of the first Cult of Mac book, and subsequently this website.
Before joining Wired, Leander was a senior reporter at the legendary MacWeek, the storied and long-running weekly that documented Apple and its community in the 1980s and ’90s.
Leander has written for Wired magazine (including the Issue 16.04 cover story about Steve Jobs’ leadership at Apple, entitled Evil/Genius), Scientific American, The Guardian, The Observer, The San Francisco Chronicle and many other publications.
Leander is an expert on:
Apple and Apple history
Steve Jobs, Jony Ive, Tim Cook and Apple leadership
Apple community
iPhone and iOS
iPad and iPadOS
Mac and macOS
Apple Watch and watchOS
Apple TV and tvOS
AirPods
Leander has a postgrad diploma in artificial intelligence from the University of Aberdeen, and a BSc (Hons) in experimental psychology from the University of Sussex.
He has a diploma in journalism from the UK’s National Council for the Training of Journalists.
Leander lives in San Francisco, California, and is married with four children. He’s an avid biker and has ridden in many long-distance bike events, including California’s legendary Death Ride.
You can find out more about Leander on LinkedIn and Facebook. You can follow him on X at @lkahney or Instagram.
