Chromecast Effect: Apple Lowers Price of Refurbished Apple TV to $75
There's nothing like a little competition to help spur price drops, even reluctant ones, as is often the case with Apple. For example, Google recently unveiled its Chromecast device, a $35 gadget that plugs into your HDTV's HDMI port and streams movies, TV shows, music, and more from services like Netflix, YouTube, Google Play, and Chrome. It's cheap, easy to use, and compatible with a bunch of existing devices, including iPhones and iPads.
Chromecast is one of the least expensive streaming devices around, and the only logical thing for Apple to do in the wake of its launch is to reduce the price of its Apple TV box. And so the Cupertino did that, albeit reluctantly, limiting the price cut to refurbished models. A refurbished Apple TV now sells for $75, which is $10 less than before and $24 less than the price of a brand new unit.
While Chromecast has an advantage in price, Apple TV is arguably a more fleshed out product at this point with individual apps for streaming rather than having to go through a computer, tablet, or smartphone to use it. If you're heavily invested in AirPlay devices, Apple TV isn't a bad way to go, and buying refurbished (from Apple) isn't scary, either. What you get is an Apple TV box that's been through a "stringent refurbishment process," aluminum Apple remote, power cord, documentation, and the same one-year warranty that applies to a new device.
Chromecast is one of the least expensive streaming devices around, and the only logical thing for Apple to do in the wake of its launch is to reduce the price of its Apple TV box. And so the Cupertino did that, albeit reluctantly, limiting the price cut to refurbished models. A refurbished Apple TV now sells for $75, which is $10 less than before and $24 less than the price of a brand new unit.
While Chromecast has an advantage in price, Apple TV is arguably a more fleshed out product at this point with individual apps for streaming rather than having to go through a computer, tablet, or smartphone to use it. If you're heavily invested in AirPlay devices, Apple TV isn't a bad way to go, and buying refurbished (from Apple) isn't scary, either. What you get is an Apple TV box that's been through a "stringent refurbishment process," aluminum Apple remote, power cord, documentation, and the same one-year warranty that applies to a new device.
