Following reports that the Apple TV has raked in an extra $1 billion for the iPhone and iPad manufacturer in the previous fiscal year, the company launched a promo Friday that can save consumers some money when they buy a unit of the set-top box.
Apple launched the promo Friday giving consumers who buy an Apple TV a chance to get a $25 gift card that they can spend at the iTunes Store, App Store, iBooks Store, and Mac App Store. Purchases must be made via the U.S. Apple Online Store from any U.S. Apple Retail Store.
The U.S. Apple TV promo will run until March 5, 2014. The manufacturer limits the promo to five gift cards per household. The promo, which was only announced to retail employees on Friday, led to speculations that a new Apple TV might be on the way.
“In the world of tech, discounts and promotions can often be signs that a newer version of a product will soon be rolled out. The new Apple TV is expected to include a faster processor and a redesigned user interface,” a report on Los Angeles Times read.
The publication compared situation to what happened before the release of the new iteration of Samsung’s Galaxy Gear. Prior to the announcement of a new version of the smartwatch, two retailers of the wearable technology chopped a significant amount from the sticker price of the Gear.
However, not everyone agrees that the L.A. Times’ report hits the mark.
“Nope,” wrote The Loop’s Jim Dalrymple, who has been following Apple for almost two decades. He teasingly put emphasis on the phrase “could signal a new Apple TV is on its way” of the said report before inserting his one-word reaction.
A one-word response is very difficult to interpret but the guy loves to throw out single-word confirmation or contradiction. Just like for the iPad 2 event on October 22, 2013, Dalrymple agreed with a “yep” and hit the bull’s eye.
He might not agree that the promo is intended to clear the Apple TV inventory or another possible take will be that the roll out will not just be that soon. However, several reports came out this month saying otherwise.
“Apple Inc. is planning to introduce a new Apple TV set-top box and is negotiating with Time Warner Cable Inc. and other potential partners to add video content, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Apple is aiming to unveil the device by April and have it available for sale by the Christmas holidays, though the release date could change because the company is still in the process of securing new agreements with programming and distribution partners,” reported Bloomberg on Feb 13.
A report [subscription required] on the Financial Times on Friday disclosed that Apple might release a “significantly redesigned” version of its set-top box before its developers conference in June.
