‘Premium’ Next Gen Apple TV Will Reportedly Have $150 to $200 Price Tag
As we arrive closer to Apple’s scheduled September 9th keynote for the Apple iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus, we’re beginning to learn a bit more about the next generation Apple TV, which is almost guaranteed to be announced at the same event. According to a report from the incredibly well connected Mark Gurman, the fourth generation Apple TV will be priced much higher than its predecessor, and could cost up to twice as much as its best-selling competition.
Whereas the current generation Apple TV is priced at $69 — it received a $30 price cut earlier this year — the next generation media streamer will cost at least $149 according to Gurman. In addition, this price might not actually be the ceiling the for the fourth generation Apple TV. There is talk that the device could cost as much as $199 when it is announced.
For comparison, Roku currently leads the media streamer market with its Roku 3, Roku 2, and Roku Streaming Sticks. The range-topping Roku 3, which was recently updated to support voice search, retails for $99.99. The Amazon Fire TV also retailed for $99, but that particular model is no longer available direct from Amazon. The company is reportedly preparing to launch the next generation of the Fire TV to counter whatever Apple has to offer.
The relatively high price tag could be explained by the features that Apple plans to add to the device. The Apple TV will reportedly feature an A9 SoC and a new touch-sensitive remote control that features Siri integration. The Apple TV is also expected to run a version of iOS 9 and will have access to its own dedicated App Store. The pricing, however, could possibly be attributed to the famed “Apple Tax.”
Now we have to keep in the back of our minds that Apple could be feeding false information so that it can surprise everyone with a “low” price of $99 when its actually announces the new Apple TV. The same thing happened before the original iPad was announced in 2010. Rumors leading up to the official announcement suggested that the device would cost $1,000, but it actually had a starting price of $499 at launch.
It should also be noted that the current generation Apple TV is expected to soldier on, unchanged at its $69 price point.
