Apple Officially Discontinues the Third-Generation Apple TV
It’s time to say goodbye to the third-generation Apple TV. First reported by 9to5Mac, the streaming device has officially been discontinued by Apple.
Limited availability
In an email to employees and education partners, Apple said it would fulfill all order backlog, but that the device had reached the end of its life. Last month, Apple began to phase out the set-top box from retail locations and online.
Officially introduced in 2012, the device is powered by a now-ancient A5 processor. The last software update was in February.
If you’re still interested in buying the device, Apple does have a limited supply of refurbished models at its online store for $59.
An October surprise?
Hitting the market almost a year ago, the new Apple TV features true App Store support, a Siri Remote, and other improvements.
While Apple obviously wants to focus its efforts on the newest model, the discontinuation of the older version could signal that a fifth-generation box is in the cards sooner rather than later.
The biggest feature missing in the current device is support for 4K content, which is rapidly becoming the norm on other streaming devices like the just-announced Chromecast Ultra.
Apple is reportedly planning some type of event this month to introduce new MacBook models. So if ready, it would be a natural time to unveil the next-generation Apple TV then.
