The folks at UK catalog-based retailer Argos screwed up by making the new Apple TV 4K available to customers one day early, before realizing their mistake and pulling availability. But seemingly not before a few lucky customers managed to get hold of the new streaming box.
Apple showed off the new sixth-generation Apple TV 4K in late April. It boasts Apple’s A12 Bionic chip and, most importantly, a redesigned version of the much-hated Siri Remote.
Argos’ Thursday mistake meant that pre-orders and same-day collection were briefly available. The company quickly realized its error, however, and pulled the listing. It now leads to a page saying “Watch This Space: This product hasn’t been released yet. Please check back soon.”
According to iMore, one customer got in touch to say they had successfully bought an Apple TV due to the slip-up.
Argos jumping early? https://t.co/kd5rPNSUjo pic.twitter.com/y1QcTYzaxs
— Watcher (@ApplWatcher) May 20, 2021
Compared to, say, a new iPhone being released a day early, a new Apple TV getting out 24 hours ahead of schedule isn’t particularly momentous. Nonetheless, Apple is pretty controlling (for good reason) when it comes to instructions about how products are to be sold. For phone carriers, that means tight controls over Apple-oriented copy. For journalists, it means strict embargoes that have to be adhered to. And, when it comes to retailers, it means being able to receive shipments of products early on condition they don’t hit shelves early.
It’s not clear quite how Argos’ error was made. Nonetheless, someone almost certainly had a scary few minutes when they discovered what had happened!
Are you planning to pick up the new Apple TV model? Let us know in the comments below.
Via: iMore
Luke Dormehl is a U.K.-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Apple Revolution and The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems … and Create More, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme and other publications.
