I've always been a big fan of Roku streamers, but recently I've been mulling over the idea of swapping for an Apple TV 4K. Not only am I getting tired of Roku's advertising, but the Roku Streambar that's been powering my TV for five and a half years seems to be glitching a lot more than usual. Yesterday saw me finally take the plunge and make that purchase.
Discounts on Apple products are quite rare, and the Apple TV 4K was not fortunate enough to be discounted in Amazon's Prime Day sale — or at any rival retailers. But considering Apple has just announced a series of price hikes, including a $70 increase on the Apple TV 4K, I realized it was now or never.
It seems that a lot of other people had the same idea, and it's actually become quite hard to find an Apple TV 4K at the old $129 price tag. Apple has a plentiful supply if you're willing to pay $199, but there's something about being asked to pay so much money for a 4-year-old device that rubs me the wrong way.
So here are the retailers that still have stock at the old price.
Why choose the Apple TV 4K?
One of the main benefits of buying an Apple TV 4K is that it's got the cleanest interface of any streaming device around. Unlike some rivals it's not constantly pushing you towards Apple services, or showcasing ads that you may or may not be interested in. That also means that there are no random branded buttons on the remote, a feature that has always bugged me.
There are no random branded buttons on the remote, a feature that has always bugged me.
You also have support for Apple smart home devices, Dolby Atmos and HDR10+, an ethernet port on the more expensive 128GB option and the ability to play games from the App Store.
Performance was also excellent at the time of release, thanks to the A15 Bionic chipset. And while old, I'm not sure whether you need iPhone or MacBook-tier performance on a streaming box. As long as it loads quickly and plays the content I want without issue, it's good with me.
There's also access to Siri, but due to the Apple TV's age, the current model isn't able to run Siri AI — even with the tvOS 27 beta installed. If you're desperate for Apple's AI on your TV, you might want to wait for the upgraded model that's rumored to be in development. But who knows whether that will arrive this year, or some unspecified point in the future. You certainly won't be getting it for a low price.
Me? I'm picking it up for the interface and the lack of advertising. There are too many ads on the internet, especially on streaming services, and I've grown tired of seeing ads on my home screen as well.
Where you can actually buy Apple TV 4K for the old price
It looks as though the Apple TV 4K has proven very popular over the last 24 hours. Walmart claims that it has sold over 500 of the things since yesterday, while Amazon and Best Buy have both run out of stock.
Walmart has flagged the Apple TV 4K for low stock, which means there's a good chance they will also run out soon.
Walmart is arguably the best option if you want your streaming box as soon as possible, offering next day same-day delivery and in-store pickup for those of you willing to drive to your nearest location. You can also get free shipping, as well as the usual slew of extended trials for Apple services — including Apple TV and Apple Music.
However Walmart has flagged the Apple TV 4K for low stock, which means there's a good chance they will also run out soon. You can guarantee that the next batch they receive is going to be priced on par with Apple.
Target isn't offering pickup or same-day delivery, but it will still ship you a 64GB Apple TV 4K with the promise that it will arrive by June 30. That shipping is also free, but there's no mention of the extended free trials that Walmart is offering.
If both those retailers run out of stock, then it's always worth checking out sites like eBay to see if you can pick up a used model. Some of the prices have started going up already, and I saw one open box Apple TV with a $189 asking price, so it seems some sellers are already catching on and trying to take advantage of the price hike.
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