History of Apple TV in Timeline
Apple TV is a digital media player and microconsole by Apple, designed to stream media, including video and audio, to a TV or external display. It supports various media services such as streaming platforms, TV Everywhere services, local media, and sports broadcasts. It serves as a central hub for entertainment in the home, providing access to a wide range of content on a television.
1993: Release of Macintosh TV
In 1993, Apple released the Macintosh TV, featuring a 14-inch CRT screen and a TV tuner card, in an attempt to enter the home-entertainment industry. However, it wasn't commercially successful.
1994: Discontinuation of Macintosh TV and Development of Apple Interactive Television Box
In 1994, the Macintosh TV was discontinued, having sold only 10,000 units. Also in 1994, Apple developed the Apple Interactive Television Box in collaboration with BT Group and Proximus Group, which was never released to the public.
September 2006: Announcement of the First-Generation Apple TV
In September 2006, Apple announced the first-generation Apple TV, initially named "iTV" but renamed due to a trademark dispute.
January 2007: Apple TV Top Pre-Selling Item
In January 2007, during the first week of presales, Apple TV was the top pre-selling item at the Apple Store. Orders exceeded 100,000 units by the end of January, and Apple planned to sell over a million units before the 2007 holiday season.
January 2007: First-Generation Apple TV Pre-Orders Began
In January 2007, pre-orders began for the first-generation Apple TV.
March 2007: Release of the First-Generation Apple TV
In March 2007, Apple released the first-generation Apple TV, based on a Pentium M processor and running a variant of Mac OS X Tiger, with a 40 GB hard disk.
May 2007: Release of 160 GB Apple TV Model
In May 2007, Apple released a model of the first-generation Apple TV with a 160 GB hard drive.
2007: Apple TV sales comparison.
In the fourth quarter of 2007, Apple TV sales were one third of sales in the fourth quarter of 2008.
January 2008: Apple TV Becomes a Stand-Alone Device
In January 2008, a software update transformed the first-generation Apple TV into a stand-alone device, eliminating the need for iTunes syncing from a separate computer.
February 2008: Apple TV "Take Two" (2.0) Upgrade Released
In February 2008, Apple released a major and free upgrade to the Apple TV, labelled "Take Two" (2.0). This update replaced Front Row with a new interface, organizing content into six categories: movies, TV shows, music, YouTube, podcasts, and photos. A "Settings" option was also added for configuration and software updates.
July 10, 2008: Apple Releases iTunes Remote iOS App
On July 10, 2008, Apple released iTunes Remote, a free iOS application that allowed iPhones, iPod Touches, and iPads to control the iTunes library on the Apple TV via Wi-Fi.
July 2008: Software Update 2.1 Adds iPhone and iPod Touch Recognition
In July 2008, Apple released software update 2.1, adding external recognition of iPhones and iPod Touches as alternative remote control devices to the Apple Remote for the first-generation Apple TV.
2008: Apple TV Sales Triple
In the fourth quarter of 2008, Apple TV sales were triple that of the fourth quarter of 2007.
September 2009: Discontinuation of 40 GB Apple TV Model
In September 2009, Apple discontinued the 40 GB version of the first-generation Apple TV.
October 2009: Apple TV Software 3.0 Upgrade Released
In October 2009, Apple released the Apple TV Software 3.0 update, replacing the 2.0 interface with a new one featuring seven horizontal columns for content categories such as Movies, TV Shows, Music, and Settings. This update also introduced features like content filtering, iTunes Extras, new fonts, a new Internet radio app, and the 'Genius' playlist option.
2009: Apple TV Sales Increase Three Times
In Apple's first-quarter 2009 financial results conference call, Tim Cook stated that Apple TV sales increased three times over the same quarter a year ago. Cook mentioned the movie rental business was working well and Apple would continue investment in movie rentals and Apple TV, but Apple TV is still considered a hobby for the company.
September 2010: Release of the Second-Generation Apple TV
In September 2010, Apple released the second-generation Apple TV, based on the ARM-based Apple A4 chip, running a variant of iOS, and housed in a smaller black enclosure.
December 21, 2010: Apple Sells 1 Million Apple TV Units
On December 21, 2010, Apple announced that they had sold 1 million Apple TV units.
2011: Apple TV Sales Top 2 Million Units
In the second fiscal quarter of 2011, Apple TV sales had topped 2 million units, with 820,000 sold in that quarter alone.
January 1, 2012: Apple TV Sales Figures Released
By January 1, 2012, Apple had sold a cumulative total of 4.2 million Apple TV units.
January 24, 2012: Apple Announces Apple TV Sales Figures
On January 24, 2012, Apple announced they had sold 1.4 million Apple TV units in the first fiscal quarter of 2012.
March 2012: Announcement of the Third-Generation Apple TV
At a March 2012 special event, Apple announced the third-generation Apple TV, which is externally identical to its predecessor, it includes an A5 chip with one core deactivated and supports 1080p video output.
March 2012: Apple TV Software 5 (iOS 5.1) Released
In March 2012, Apple released Apple TV Software 5 (iOS 5.1) with the 3rd generation Apple TV. This update revised the home screen to resemble the icon grid seen on iOS, replacing the 7 columns with a tiled grid format for content and third-party channels.
May 2012: Apple Sells 2.7 Million 3rd Generation Apple TVs
In May 2012, Tim Cook announced that Apple had sold 2.7 million of the 3rd generation Apple TV model in 2012.
January 1, 2013: Cumulative Volume of 3rd Generation Apple TV Reaches 6 Million Units
As of January 1, 2013, the cumulative volume of the 3rd generation Apple TV device reached 6 million units.
March 2013: Quiet Release of Third-Generation Apple TV "Rev A"
In March 2013, Apple quietly released a "rev A" hardware of the third-generation Apple TV, utilizing a single-core variant of the A5 chip, resulting in lower power consumption.
February 28, 2014: Apple TV Revenue Reaches $1 Billion
On February 28, 2014, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced at Apple's shareholders meeting that in 2013 Apple TV brought in 1 billion dollars of revenue for Apple.
September 2014: Introduction of Peer-to-Peer AirPlay for the "Rev A" Model
In September 2014, Apple TV Software 7.0 introduced peer-to-peer AirPlay exclusively for the "rev A" model of the third-generation Apple TV.
March 9, 2015: Apple Sells 25 Million Apple TV Units
On March 9, 2015, Tim Cook announced at the Apple Special Event that Apple had sold a total of 25 million Apple TVs up to that point.
September 9, 2015: Announcement of the Fourth-Generation Apple TV
On September 9, 2015, Apple announced the fourth-generation Apple TV at an Apple special event, featuring tvOS, an app store, and a 64-bit Apple A8 chip.
September 2015: Discontinuation of iTunes Support for First-Generation Apple TV
In September 2015, Apple discontinued iTunes support for the first-generation Apple TV, rendering accessibility obstructed due to obsolete security standards.
October 2015: Shipping of Fourth-Generation Apple TV
In October 2015, the fourth-generation Apple TV started shipping.
December 8, 2015: tvOS 9.1 Fixes Issues
On December 8, 2015, Apple released tvOS 9.1 to fix several unexpected problems, such as incompatibility with iTunes Remote app.
January 27, 2016: Apple TV Sales Reach Record High
During an Apple earnings call on January 27, 2016, CEO Tim Cook stated that the Apple TV had record sales, although further details were not provided.
September 13, 2016: Apple Releases tvOS 10
On September 13, 2016, Apple released tvOS 10, bringing an updated remote app, single-sign on, a light-on-dark color scheme, and introduced HomeKit support, enabling the Apple TV to function as a home hub.
October 2016: Discontinuation of Third-Generation Apple TV
In October 2016, Apple discontinued the third-generation Apple TV.
September 12, 2017: Announcement of Apple TV 4K
On September 12, 2017, Apple announced the Apple TV 4K with 2160p output, HDR10, Dolby Vision, and the faster Apple A10X chip at an Apple special event.
December 6, 2017: Amazon Video Added to Apple TV
On December 6, 2017, Amazon Video was automatically added to Apple TVs running Apple TV Software 7.2.2.
December 2017: Apple TV adds support for Amazon Prime Video
In December 2017, Apple added support for Amazon Prime Video on the Apple TV.
March 2019: Apple TV Software 7.2.2 (iOS 8) available
In March 2019, Apple TV Software 7.2.2 (iOS 8) was available for the Apple TV (3rd generation).
March 2019: Rebranding of Fourth-Generation Apple TV as Apple TV HD
In March 2019, the fourth-generation Apple TV was rebranded as the Apple TV HD to serve as an entry-level option.
May 2019: Apple TV Software 7.3 (iOS 8.4.2) Released
In May 2019 Apple released Apple TV Software 7.3 (iOS 8.4.2) to the public. This update was the first update for the 3rd generation Apple TV since 2016. This update adds the new Apple TV app to the home screen and brings compatibility to the Apple TV Channels service. This update also fixes some security flaws found in Apple TV Software 7.2.2 and earlier.
May 2019: Apple TV App Bundled with Software 7.3
In May 2019, the Apple TV app was bundled with Apple TV Software 7.3.
June 2019: Apple TV Units in Use Estimated at 53 Million Worldwide
In June 2019, it was estimated that there were 53 million Apple TV units of all generations in use worldwide.
September 24, 2019: Apple TV Software 7.4 (iOS 8.4.3) Released
On September 24, 2019, Apple TV Software 7.4 (iOS 8.4.3) was released to the public.
November 2019: Apple TV+ and Apple TV app release
In November 2019, Apple released Apple TV+ subscription service and the Apple TV app.
2019: Apple TV Sold at Low Profit Margin or Loss
In 2019, Apple analyst John Gruber stated the Apple TV sells at a low profit margin or a loss, saying units are effectively sold at cost.
March 24, 2020: Apple TV Software 7.5 (iOS 8.4.4) Released
On March 24, 2020, Apple TV Software 7.5 (iOS 8.4.4) was released to the public.
April 20, 2021: Announcement of Updated Apple TV 4K
On April 20, 2021, Apple announced an updated Apple TV 4K with the A12 Bionic chip, support for high frame rate HDR, HDMI 2.1, and Wi-Fi 6.
October 18, 2022: Discontinuation of Apple TV HD
On October 18, 2022, Apple TV HD was discontinued after seven years on the market, following the release of the 4K third-generation model.
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