14 DAY TRIAL // Apple’s upcoming TV show service, which is expected to land in 2019, could come together with some fresh news on the hardware side.
The Cupertino-based tech giant is believed to be working on a Chromecast-like Apple TV dongle that would provide more potential customers with access to the content that the company is planning to release as part of its streaming service.
A report from The Information indicates that while a final decision hasn’t been made just yet, Apple apparently wants to build a less expensive service, as the price of the Apple TV may be a setback given the company’s ambitions for the new service.
Apple is currently selling the Apple TV for $149, while the 4K version is available for $179. The company has never discounted the Apple TV, despite the arrival of the 4K upgrade last year, and by the looks of things, it isn’t planning any changes on the pricing front.
Could cost less than $100
However, instead of making the Apple TV more affordable, Apple wants to launch a dongle similar to the Google Chromecast that would come with less processing power than the TV box and most likely with limited features. Nevertheless, it will offer access to the new shows coming in 2019 and including stars like Jennifer Aniston and Steve Carell.
As for the pricing, nothing is known right now, but Apple and cheap aren’t two terms that you see mentioned together too often.
There’s a chance the device would hit the shelves with a $99 price tag or even less. The cited source indicates that some content will be offered free on the streaming service, and first buyers may also benefit from special offers.
Certainly, everything can change overnight given this is work in progress, but Apple seems to be more and more focused on cheaper products since its premium products are already reaching saturation.