Apple TV update may loom, since retailers are running out
Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Target are other retailers have sold out of Apple TVs, suggesting that the product may be up for a refresh very soon.
Apple could soon unveil a new version of Apple TV, since retailers appear to be running out of the current model.
Citing intel from one of its Best Buy sources, 9to5Mac said that Apple TV is not just out of stock at the source's local store, but that the product is no longer even shipping to retail outlets. When I searched the Best Buy Web site, the product was no longer shipping to online customers and its availability at physical stories was spotty.
I searched other popular stores online, including Target and Wal-Mart, and typically found the product out of stock or, in some cases, not even listed. Amazon is selling the 2010 version of Apple TV with a shipping date of two to five weeks, while Radio Shack is offering the product only at certain stores. Sears does show the item in stock.
Such limited availability among some of the major retailers is usually a sign that the item is slated for an imminent upgrade or some type of refresh.
9to5Mac also sees the shortage as "curious" in light of a possible impending Apple event. The latest rumors suggest that the company will hold one of its famous events the first week of March, presumably to unveil the next iPad.
But could a new Apple TV provide of those "one more thing" moments?
Among a slew of products referenced in a beta of IOS 5.1 late last year was a new Apple TV. Of course, Apple may have littered the beta with a bunch of made-up product names and numbers just to throw people off the trail.
But if the details are true, Slashgear and other blogging sites note that the new Apple TV would include Bluetooth 4.0, but users are hoping for high-definition support in the form of 1080p, an upgrade from the current model's 720p resolution.