The $149 Apple TV HD is no more. Apple has stopped offering its legacy streamer because the third-generation Apple TV 4K offers plenty more features for $20 less.
- What’s happening? The $149 Apple TV HD has disappeared from Apple’s online store following the introduction of the third-generation Apple TV 4K which brings refreshed hardware at a reduced price of $129, down from $179.
- Why care? Because the Apple TV HD has run its course. It was underpowered, didn’t output a 4K signal and shipped with Apple’s old and hated remote.
- What to do? If you have an old Apple TV HD lying around somewhere, now could be the perfect time to sell it.
Apple discontinues its legacy Apple TV HD box
MacRumors is unsure whether the company has temporarily stopped selling the Apple TV HD through its online store. If so, it’s a remarkable coincidence.
You announce a new box one day, and the next day the old one’s conveniently gone from the lineup. Makes perfect sense, if you ask us. Still, it was unclear at the publication time if the Apple TV HD might still be available at Apple’s retail stores or via authorized resellers. Read: How to customize the Apple TV app settings
Speculating, it appears the Apple TV HD is indeed gone from the lineup.
Good riddance
Released in 2015, the Apple TV HD is actually the fourth-generation model that got renamed “Apple TV HD” when the first Apple TV 4K arrived back in 2017.
The “HD” and “4K” suffixes in the Apple TV name were a bit confusing because video resolution is hardly the only difference between those devices.
Aside from supporting 4K-capable television sets, the Apple TV 4K runs a much more capable Apple silicon which makes it much snappier than the Apple TV HD which was stuck with the A8, Apple’s chip from the iPhone 6 era.
It made no sense for Apple to continue offering a $149 streamer (Apple TV HD) that’s older and much less powerful than Apple TV 4K, which was only $30 extra.
The Apple TV HD wouldn’t even play HDR10 and Dolby Vision content and lacked Gigabit Ethernet to ensure smooth streaming. It also didn’t support the latest Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5 and Thread networking technologies.
And yet, the Apple TV HD endured until 2022.
The $129 Apple TV 4K is now the new entry-level model
The latest Apple TV 4K is offered in two versions.
The entry-level model is priced at $129 and equipped with 64 gigabytes of storage, but doesn’t have Ethernet connectivity. To enjoy smoother streaming, the pricier $149 version brings both Wi-Fi and Ethernet support along with 128 gigabytes of storage and support for the efficient Matter networking protocol.
The third-generation Apple TV is available to order from the online Apple store. The first shipments should arrive by Friday, November 4, when the device will hit stores.