History of Apple TV in Timeline
Apple TV is a digital media player and microconsole by Apple, designed to stream media to a TV or external display. It supports various media services, including streaming platforms, TV Everywhere services, local media content, and sports broadcasts. It serves as a central hub for entertainment, offering a range of options for video and audio playback.
1993: Release of Macintosh TV
In 1993, Apple released the Macintosh TV, a device with a 14-inch CRT screen and a TV tuner card, aimed at the home-entertainment industry.
1994: Discontinuation of Macintosh TV
In 1994, the Macintosh TV was discontinued after selling only 10,000 units and the company developed the Apple Interactive Television Box, in collaboration with BT Group and Proximus Group that was never released to the public.
September 2006: Announcement of the First-Generation Apple TV
At a special event in September 2006, Apple announced the first-generation Apple TV, initially named "iTV" but renamed due to a trademark dispute.
January 2007: Pre-orders for First-Generation Apple TV Begin
In January 2007, pre-orders began for the first-generation Apple TV.
January 2007: Apple TV Top Pre-Selling Item at Apple Store
Within the first week of presales in January 2007, Apple TV was the top pre-selling item at the Apple Store. Orders exceeded 100,000 units by the end of January.
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.
May 2007: Release of 160 GB Apple TV Model
In May 2007, Apple released a version of the first-generation Apple TV with a 160 GB hard drive.
2007: Apple TV Sales Compared to Q4 2008
Apple TV Sales in Q4 of 2007 were one third of sales compared to Q4 2008.
January 2008: Apple TV Becomes Stand-Alone Device
In January 2008, a software update allowed the Apple TV to become a stand-alone device, eliminating the need for iTunes syncing from a separate computer.
February 2008: Apple TV "Take Two" (2.0) Upgrade Release
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.
July 10, 2008: Release of iTunes Remote iOS Application
On July 10, 2008, Apple released iTunes Remote, a free iOS application that allows the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad to control the iTunes library on the Apple TV via Wi-Fi.
July 2008: Software 2.1 Update for Apple TV
In July 2008, Apple released the software 2.1 update, which added external recognition of iPhones and iPod Touches as alternative remote control devices to the Apple TV Remote.
2008: Apple TV Sales Tripled in Q4 2008
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, the 40 GB version of the first-generation Apple TV was discontinued.
October 2009: Apple TV Software 3.0 Upgrade Release
In October 2009, Apple released a minor upgrade for the Apple TV called "Apple TV Software 3.0". This update replaced the interface in version 2.0 with a new interface that presented seven horizontal columns across the top of the screen for the different categories of content (Movies, TV Shows, Music, Podcasts, Photos, Internet, and Settings).
2009: Apple TV Sales Increased Three Times Over Last Year
In 2009, Apple TV sales increased three times over the same quarter a year ago.
September 2010: Release of Second-Generation Apple TV
Apple released the second-generation Apple TV in September 2010, based on the ARM-based Apple A4 chip.
December 21, 2010: Apple Announced Sale of 1 Million Apple TV Units
On December 21, 2010, Apple announced that they had sold 1 million Apple TV units.
2011: Apple Announces 2.8 Million Units sold in Fiscal Year 2011
Apple announced 2.8 million Apple TV units sold in Fiscal Year 2011.
2011: Apple TV Total Sales Top 2 Million in 2011
In the second fiscal quarter of 2011, Apple TV had topped 2 million in total sales, with 820,000 sold in that quarter alone.
January 1, 2012: Apple TV Sales Through January 1, 2012
As of January 1, 2012, Apple sold 4.2 million Apple TV units.
January 24, 2012: Apple Announces Apple TV Sales of 1.4 Million Units
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 Third-Generation Apple TV
At a special event in March 2012, Apple announced the third-generation Apple TV, which supports 1080p video output.
March 2012: Apple TV Software 5 (iOS 5.1) Release
In March 2012, Apple released Apple TV Software 5 (iOS 5.1) with the Apple TV 3rd generation, which shipped with the new 3rd generation Apple TV. This update completely revised the look of the home screen to make it resemble the icon grid seen on iOS.
May 2012: Apple Sold 2.7 Million 3rd Generation Apple TV Units
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: Apple TV 3rd Generation Device Cumulative Volume
As of January 1, 2013, cumulative volume of the Apple TV 3rd generation device reached 6 million units.
March 2013: Quiet Release of "rev A" Third-Generation Apple TV
In March 2013, Apple quietly released a "rev A" of the third-generation Apple TV hardware, using a single-core variant of the A5 chip.
2013: Apple TV Generated $1 Billion in Revenue in 2013
In 2013, Apple TV generated $1 billion in revenue for Apple.
February 28, 2014: Apple TV Generated $1 Billion in Revenue
On February 28, 2014, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced that in 2013, Apple TV brought in 1 billion dollars of revenue for Apple.
September 2014: Introduction of Peer-to-Peer AirPlay for Apple TV
In September 2014, Apple TV Software 7.0 introduced peer-to-peer AirPlay exclusively for the rev A model.
March 9, 2015: Apple Announced Total Apple TV Sales
At the Apple Special Event on March 9, 2015, Tim Cook announced that Apple had sold a total of 25 million Apple TVs up to that point.
September 9, 2015: Announcement of Fourth-Generation Apple TV
On September 9, 2015, Apple announced the fourth-generation Apple TV at an Apple special event, introducing tvOS and an app store.
September 2015: iTunes Support Discontinued for First-Generation Apple TV
In September 2015, Apple discontinued iTunes support for the first-generation Apple TV due to obsolete security standards.
October 2015: Fourth-Generation Apple TV Starts Shipping
The fourth-generation Apple TV started shipping in October 2015.
December 8, 2015: tvOS 9.1 Fixes Issues with Fourth-Generation Apple TV
On December 8, 2015, Apple fixed several unexpected problems with the fourth-generation Apple TV, such as incompatibility with iTunes Remote app for iOS and watchOS, by releasing tvOS 9.1.
January 27, 2016: Apple TV Had Record Sales
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, and light-on-dark color scheme, also introduced HomeKit support.
October 2016: Discontinuation of Third-Generation Apple TV
The third-generation Apple TV was discontinued in October 2016.
September 12, 2017: Apple Announces Apple TV 4K
At a special event on September 12, 2017, Apple announced the Apple TV 4K, which supports 2160p output, HDR10, Dolby Vision, and includes a faster Apple A10X chip.
December 6, 2017: Amazon Video Support Added to Apple TV 7.2.2
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) Still Available
As of March 2019, Apple TV Software 7.2.2 (iOS 8) is available for the Apple TV (3rd generation). It does not support tvOS 9.0 or later.
March 2019: Rebranding of Fourth-Generation Apple TV to Apple TV HD
In March 2019, after newer 4K versions of the Apple TV were released, Apple rebranded the fourth-generation model as the Apple TV HD.
May 2019: Apple TV Software 7.3 (iOS 8.4.2) Released
In May 2019 Apple TV Software 7.3 (iOS 8.4.2) was released 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.
May 2019: Release of Apple TV App Bundled with Software 7.3
In May 2019, The Apple TV app, bundled with Apple TV Software 7.3, was released.
June 2019: Estimated Units of All Generations in Use Worldwide
In June 2019 it was estimated that there are 53 million units of all Apple TV 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 the Apple TV+ subscription service and the Apple TV app.
2019: Apple TV Sells 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: Apple Announces 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: Apple TV HD Discontinued After Seven Years
On October 18, 2022, the Apple TV HD was discontinued after seven years on the market, following the release of the 4K third-generation model.
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