3rd-gen Apple TV departs Apple retail, remains at big-box stores

Even though Apple didn't update last year's fourth generation Apple TV at Wednesday's "See You on Sept. 7" event, the three-year-old third generation Apple TV is being pulled from its store shelves — but other big box retailers aren't doing the same, yet.

Besides just the store shelf removal, Apple has also purged the third generation Apple TV from its product page for the device family after Wednesday's "See You on Sept. 7" release event. The media player is still available from Apple's online sales portal, but only through Google searches, or by bookmarked link.

AppleInsider has learned that while the devices are being pulled off of the retail store's shelves, they are available for sale by request, until stock is depleted. No further shipments of the device are expected at the brick and mortar Apple stores.

Retailers Target and Best Buy have not as of yet received any orders to pull the device from sale, or reduce pricing to clear out inventory. Representatives from both locations have told us that stocks on the devices have been somewhat limited for the last three months, but never utterly depleted.

The third generation Apple TV was released in March 2012, and brought 1080p video to the device for the first time.

Apple CEO Tim Cook introduced the fourth generation Apple TV in the Sept. 2015 Apple release event, with the device shipping on Oct. 30, 2015. The fourth generation device retained 1080p video, but introduced apps to the set-top box, with Cook calling apps "the future of television."

39 Comments

jayjaykr 1 comment · 8 Years

About 8 years ago

They are still selling through Apple Store. Here's the link http://www.apple.com/shop/buy-tv/apple-tv-3rd-gen

MacPro 19840 comments · 18 Years

It's just my opinion but I think it makes sense for Apple to wait to release the next Apple TV iteration until 4K is far more prevalent in the market place. There is little they could add now other than 4K that software improvements can't cope with in the mean time. I would imagine the way Apple is continuing to design their own amazing chips these days the next Apple TV could be a massive step forward. I also wonder if Apple will ever use the Apple TV for something else too, perhaps a central hub for HomeKit for example and maybe even add features akin to Amazon's Echo and throw in a Wi-Tricity charging ability and while their at it ... a coffee maker? B)

What's a big box store? Is that like Amazon? I kid of course but I bet it won't be long before the younger generation read about them in history books. I've already selected the spot for the Amazon homing beacon required for the drone drop offs.

TurboPGT 355 comments · 9 Years

digitalclips said:

It's just my opinion but I think it makes sense for Apple to wait to release the next Apple TV iteration until 4K is far more prevalent in the market place. There is little they could add now other than 4K that software improvements can't cope with in the mean time. I would imagine the way Apple is continuing to design their own amazing chips these days the next Apple TV could be a massive step forward. I also wonder if Apple will ever use the Apple TV for something else too, perhaps a central hub for HomeKit for example and maybe even add features akin to Amazon's Echo and throw in a Wi-Tricity charging ability and while their at it ... a coffee maker? B)

I'm pretty sure Apple shares the same opinion...they won't be updating AppleTV hardware again until 4k is ready. And by ready, I mean more people own 4k TV's than 1080p TV's. And content is more readily available in 4k.

And it won't be a huge leap forward, in any sense of adoption or popularity. The truth is, geeks like me are far more impressed with 4k video than the average person. Most people felt that 720p was fine, and didn't truly appreciate the benefits of moving to 1080p. The same is true for the move to 4k. This fact alone is why the adoption of 4k TV's and and 4k content is slow as molasses. Think about it...look at other products on the market, and the speed with which people upgrade expensive items like smartphones, tablets, computers, even cars. TV's on the other hand...get updated about as often as the couch. Why is that? Its not purely cost...all the other items I mentioned are on par or far exceeding. Its not purely the size and inconvenience of moving/selling/relocating old TVs. Its the plain fact that, if you have anything above a 720p TV....most people don't see anything wrong with it....they don't see anything glaringly in need of updates.

And just a footnote: AppleTV is already a HomeKit hub. And its not becoming an Echo. It has a Remote for issuing Voice commands. It is not an upgrade to the user experience to put a microphone on the Apple TV itself and yell at it from across the room.

spliff monkey 882 comments · 21 Years

I can't disagree with you guys more. You can't buy a tv that's not 4K for the most part. I'm not an exotic tv purchaser when it comes to the home. I work amongst monitors all day long in broadcast and post studios. I don't need the latest and greatest at home and even I have a 4K 50" recently purchased for less than $600. Disappointed that the only content I get in 4K is pretty much Netflix. I'll be honest for the price Apple charges for a sub par 1080 movie I'd prefer to be buying at least a sub par 4K movie. Blu Ray looks way, way better than HD movies. I think 4K is closer than you guys think.