REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson
The new version of Apple TV will be available in October and could cost about $200, according the report. The $200 price tag would mark a significant step up from the current version of the TV set-top box device, which sells for $69, and was originally priced at $99 when Apple first introduced it back in 2012.
The higher price reflects Apple's increasing focus on the device, which executives famously downplayed as a "hobby" a few years ago. The forthcoming fourth-generation version of Apple TV is expected to include several important new features including support for the Siri virtual assistant, a new remote control that may pack motion-sensors, and an app store that will support third-party apps, according to various reports.
In other words, Apple sees the device as a full-fledged platform, similar to the iPhone, that could help the company establish a firmer foothold in consumers' living rooms.
According to 9to5Mac, Apple's long-rumored over-the-top streaming television service, which will bundle several cable channels, will arrive as soon as next year for a starting price of $40 a month.
Apple is expected to unveil the new Apple TV device at an event in San Francisco on September 9.
Apple may sell the new Apple TV for $149 or for $199, 9to5Mac says. The company will continue to sell the current Apple TV for $69 as an entry-level product, the report says.