Michael Sherman|Published
The Apple TV 4K announced on Tuesday promises to deliver on almost every expectation with its A19 chip, with one glaring exception: its price tag. In an unwelcome shift, the tech giant has quietly doubled what buyers will need to pay.
Apple introduced massive price hikes across its lineup earlier this year in June, and the Apple TV was not spared.
The line was last updated in 2022 with the release of the Apple TV 4K (3rd Generation). Before local price hikes took effect earlier this year, the entry-level 64GB model retailed for R2,999 at the iStore, while the top-tier 128GB version sat at R3,599. Today, those exact same models cost R4,199 and R5,249, respectively.
Now, the newly announced Apple TV 4K starts at $299 in the US — roughly R4,900 on paper. Once import costs, duties, and local taxes are applied, South African buyers can expect the starting price to land comfortably around the R6,000 mark.
Apple TV 4K: Competing with Mid-Tier and Premium Hardware at a High Price Point
At that price point, Apple finds itself competing directly with mid-tier and premium hardware that offers far greater utility. At this stage, the primary reasons to opt for an Apple TV 4K are sheer brand loyalty and a desire to stay locked into the Apple ecosystem.
On a personal level, it makes sticking with my Xbox Series S an easy decision — a console I picked up for R5,999 back in 2023. For six thousand Rand — money that held significantly more purchasing power three years ago — I was able to secure a dedicated gaming console equipped with high-performance hardware and vastly superior graphics capabilities.
Yet today, consumers are expected to fork out that same amount (or even more when factoring in inflation) for a standalone media player that cost half as much less than six months ago.
When you weigh all of these factors together, justifying a purchase of the new Apple TV 4K becomes nearly impossible.
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