The next-generation Apple TV, which is expected to make its first official appearance on Sept. 9, will reportedly cost two times the launch price of the current Apple TV.
9to5Mac reports that Apple is currently mulling over the price of its new set-top box, but insiders claim that the debate brews over a starting price of $149 and $199. The current Apple TV, the third-generation set-top box from Apple, was $99 when it launched. Since March, the price of the device has been slashed down to $69, spurring further speculations of a new Apple TV that will be sold at more or less the same price point as the current Apple TV.
The price of the upcoming Apple TV is significant, not only because, if the report is true, it will be doubling the price of its predecessor, but also because it can help the Apple TV stand out among its less expensive competitors, which currently are not equipped to offer all the fancy new features that the new Apple TV are rumored to have.
For the price of $200, users can expect a number of bells and whistles for their new Apple TV. Most recently, we reported that the device will have a motion-sensing remote control that makes it like the Wii U, allowing people to control the device using gestures.
Voice commands will also become a big part of Apple TV, as Apple is reportedly working on Siri, its smart, sassy personal digital assistant, to be integrated into its new set-top box. Users can also expect an App Store populated with plenty of good TV apps, as Apple is believed to be unleashing a software development kit for the Apple TV to help developers create apps for the device. Lastly, the new Apple TV will feature a newer, sleeker interface that will be even easier for users to navigate.
For those who are balking at the alleged price tag, Apple is said to still keep selling the current-gen Apple TV for $69 as an entry-level device that will directly compete with cheaper offerings from Amazon, Google and Roku. When Apple's TV streaming service launches in 2016 for $40 a month, this device will still be able to stream programs through the service, along with the new Apple TV, of course.
Meanwhile, both the current and upcoming devices still require users to pay individual cable networks to access their programs and stream them through the Apple TV.
