The new Apple TV 4K has been released, which, despite promises related to the A19 chip, is causing strong indignation among users due to a significant price increase. The tech giant decided to subtly double the device's cost for buyers.
Earlier this year in June, Apple conducted a large-scale price increase across its entire product line, and Apple TV was no exception. The last update to the line occurred in 2022 with the release of the Apple TV 4K (3rd generation).
Before the implementation of local price hikes at the beginning of this year, the base 64GB model cost R2,999 at iStore, and the top version with 128GB sold for R3,599. However, today the same models cost R4,199 and R5,249 respectively.
Now the new Apple TV 4K starts at a price of $299 in America, which is approximately R4,900 in conversion. After accounting for import costs, duties, and local taxes, buyers in South Africa can expect the starting price to be around R6,000.
At such a price, Apple is forced to compete with more affordable and premium equipment that offers significantly greater functionality. At this stage, the main reasons for choosing the Apple TV 4K are brand loyalty and the desire to remain within the Apple ecosystem.
On a personal level, the consumer noted that choosing the Xbox Series S was an easy decision; the console was purchased for R5,999 in 2023. For this amount, which had much greater purchasing power three years ago, a gaming console with high-performance hardware and significantly better graphics capabilities could be acquired.
Nevertheless, today consumers are expected to pay the same amount (or even more considering inflation) for a media player that only six months ago cost half as much as it does now.
When comparing all these factors, justifying the purchase of the new Apple TV 4K becomes practically impossible.