Apple launches $50 gift card incentive for Apple TV 4K

In a rare move, Apple is now including a $50 gift card with every purchase of an Apple TV 4K or an Apple TV HD, although exclusively in the US and for a limited period.

After briefly taking down the online Apple Store in the US early on July 1, 2022, Apple has restored the site and added a new incentive. From now until July 14, 2022, buyers get a $50 gift card when they buy either model, or any configuration, of Apple TV hardware.

As well as being limited to the US and for two weeks, Apple also stipulates that there is maximum purchase limit of two (2) Apple TVs per customer."

The gift card also can't be applied to the device it comes with, buyers can't use it to get the Apple TV 4K or Apple TV HD for $50 off.

Even so, assuming that a buyer does want to make a future purchase from Apple, then the $50 gift card is substantial. It's equivalent to a third of the value of a $149 Apple TV HD, for instance.

Apple TV HD is sold in only one 32GB configuration. The Apple TV 4K starts at $179 for 32GB.

For comparison, Apple's current Back to School promotion is also offering gift cards, but for a substantially smaller proportion of a device's price. Buying a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro gets users a $150 gift card, while buying an iPad Air or iPad Pro nets users $100.

Separately, it's been rumored that Apple is to release a new version of the Apple TV. In which case, this promotion may be intended to sell off remaining stock.

7 Comments

stompy 411 comments · 18 Years

About 2 years ago

I hope this marks the end of $150+ Apple TVs ... but not the end of Apple TVs.

Beats 3073 comments · 4 Years

Should come with a free rental. Surprised how many people don’t know about the biggest TV store in the world. The awareness would be worth more than $50.

Apple is fumbling the ball everywhere with Apple TV.

darkvader 1146 comments · 15 Years

They should have just dropped the price.

The Apple TV is at this point extremely excessively priced, like much of Apple's product line. It offers no additional functionality to most of its competitors, most of which are under $50. In fact it has less functionality than many, since it idiotically doesn't even offer a web browser. Got Comcast? You still need a cable box, since the Comcast app doesn't run on the Apple TV, and Apple, instead of just allowing any app to be installed (Remember, the ATV is really just running a modified iOS, the hardware is perfectly capable of running any app that runs on the iPhone) not only doesn't remove that artificial restriction, they don't have any mechanism for a user to install software of their choice on hardware they own, a practice that should be illegal.

At this point, the ATV is so worthless that Apple should probably start giving them away for free with a Apple TV+ subscription. A fair price without the subscription would be about $19.99.

pslice 152 comments · 18 Years

Well, this frustrating. I just bought an AppleTV last month…

jeffythequick 269 comments · 6 Years

...which means that there's a new Apple TV coming in September.

It's a strange thing where the best thing to do for your dollar is get the hardware when it first comes out, for longest usage. If you get it on the day before the new one comes out, there is one less year that the software will support your device.

Anyway, this, and the "back to school" discounts are just the inventory clearing sales that Apple does. If only Apple had the new stuff come out in July/August, so buyers could get the latest, along with the tax holidays in many states, for the best value.

OK, crying done... moving on...