The third-generation Apple TV 4K is the best high-end streaming box you can buy right now, but not if you buy it on Amazon.
While Apple’s latest streaming player has a list price of $129, Amazon is selling the exact same device for $150. The 128GB model is even more of a rip-off at $190, a 28 percent markup over the list price. Amazon didn’t provide any clarity on the inflated pricing, and Apple didn’t respond to a request for comment.
The high prices could be a sign that a new Apple TV is imminent, in which case you may want to hold off on buying an Apple TV entirely. But if you must have a new Apple TV box right now, at least make sure you’re getting the best price.
This story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best streaming devices.
The strange state of Apple TV on Amazon
Jared Newman / Foundry
I first noticed Amazon’s out-of-whack Apple TV pricing last week, while scanning for streaming deals for my weekly cord-cutting newsletter. When I entered “apple tv” into Amazon’s search box, the top result led to this page, listing a 128GB third-gen Apple TV 4K sold by Adorama for $190. If you visit Adorama’s own website, it’s selling the same model for $159 instead, (that’s still $10 more than list price).
Apple does have its own storefront on Amazon, with a product page for Apple TV. If you click the “Buy” button on that page, it leads to an entirely separate listing that also has inflated pricing: $139 for the third-gen 64GB model, $152 for 128GB. In all cases, the products are being sold by third-party merchants such as Adorama and DataVision, not Apple or Amazon directly.
Jared Newman / Foundry
Seeking out older Apple TV models doesn’t provide any relief. A renewed second-gen Apple TV 4K, for instance, sells for $183, even more than the newer version.
The Apple TV was once a big source of contention between Apple and Amazon. In 2015, Amazon refused to launch a Prime Video app on Apple’s new tvOS platform for undisclosed reasons, then removed all Apple TV devices from its own store, citing the lack of a Prime Video app.
In 2018, a wide-ranging agreement between the two companies brought the Prime Video app to Apple TV devices and restored the Apple TV box to Amazon’s website. Sources later told Business Insider that the deal gave Apple preferential treatment, reducing the number of ads and competing recommendations that appear on its Amazon product pages. Apple said its arrangement with Amazon allowed it to provide “accurate, relevant and qualitative content on Apple Product pages.”
In light of that arrangement, it’s strange that Amazon is now selling Apple TV devices at decidedly inaccurate prices.
Limited stock at other stores
Jared Newman / Foundry
While Amazon is the only major retailer selling the third-generation Apple TV 4K at a hefty markup, some other stores are showing limited or no stock:
- Many Cincinnati-area Target stores either have limited stock or no Apple TV 4K boxes left, though the device remains available online.
- Best Buy stores are well stocked at many Cincinnati-area locations but had limited supply earlier this week.
- At Costco, the 128GB model is out of stock, though the 64GB model is available after being out of stock earlier this week.
The third-gen Apple TV 4K launched in 2022, but the rumor mill has been uncertain about a replacement this year. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported in early 2023 that Apple may release a faster model in 2024, but hedged in another report last month, noting that “stable inventory of the device suggests a new version isn’t on the immediate horizon.”
With inventory seemingly less stable now, and more Apple product launches expected this month, we could still see new Apple TV hardware this year, though it’s also unclear what needs an upgrade would satisfy. The biggest thing Apple could do to make its streaming box more appealing would be to lower the price.
Where to buy an Apple TV (if you must)
All this makes me wary of recommending an Apple TV right now. At the very least, give it a few weeks to see what Apple’s expected October event brings.
If no upgraded model arrives, you can find the Apple TV 4K at its normal $129 price from Apple, Best Buy, Target, or Walmart. Best Buy’s open-box buying options can save you a little extra, and membership stores such as Costco and Sam’s Club offer modest discounts as well.
Amazon works very hard to be the first place people go when they’re looking for something to buy. This is one case where it can really cost you.
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Author: Jared Newman, Contributor
Jared has been a freelance technology journalist for more than 15 years and is a regular contributor to PCWorld, Fast Company, and TechHive, where he's written a weekly cord-cutting column since 2014. His Cord Cutter Weekly newsletter has more than 30,000 subscribers, and his Advisorator tech advice newsletter is read by nearly 10,000 people each week. Jared has a master's degree in journalism from NYU and specializes in making complex tech topics easy to understand, from streaming and cord-cutting to neat apps and useful tech tricks. He is based in Cincinnati, OH.