Next Apple TV could be even cheaper, says analyst — but don't hold your breath

(Image credit: Future)

Apple might have just refreshed its Apple TV 4K set-top box and lowered the price to a starting point of $129, but we're already being told to expect an even lower price next time around.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, reacting to yesterday's refresh, believes that the next iteration of Apple's streaming box will cost less than $100, although there is no concrete timeline for when that will happen.

Cheaper still

Apple's latest Apple TV 4K 2022 comes with an updated A15 Bionic chip for faster load times and more fluid gaming, but it's the reduction in price of $50 is the main talking point. The box has long been accused of being too expensive, with some expecting Apple to launch a cheaper streaming stick at some point.

A new Apple TV 4K with a price drop (starting from $129) reflects the expected improved cost structure. It can help shipments, but the drop should not be enough. The sub-$100 price should be the sweet spot for Apple TV, so I expect the next-gen will be more affordable. https://t.co/pOkEHT4UFbOctober 19, 2022

Now, analyst Kuo says that the main Apple TV device could fill that price point eventually — although there could still be room for another one to more directly compete with Amazon's Fire TV Stick. Kuo believes that a sub-$100 asking price would "be the sweet spot for Apple TV," adding that he expects the next generation to be more affordable. There's no telling when that might arrive, though.

Alongside the move to an A15 Bionic, the new Apple TV 4K comes with an updated Siri Remote powered by USB-C and 64GB of storage on the low end. An optional 128GB version is available with added Ethernet capabilities, too. That's the best Apple TV to buy if you want the most flexibility.

Apple's October 18 announcements included more than a mild Apple TV 4K refresh, though. There was an all-new iPad 10th generation as well as a refreshed iPad Pro 2022 (M2) in both 11 and 12.9-inch sizes. Apple also took the opportunity to increase the price of the existing iPad mini and iPad Air across many European countries despite the device itself being unchanged.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.