Prototype of Original Apple TV ('iTV') Hits eBay

apple tv prototype front
An eBay listing for a prototype of the original Apple TV has appeared on the auction site, giving interested users nearly a month to snap up the collectible item with a "Buy It Now" price of $350.

apple tv prototype side
Photos accompanying the listing show an Apple Development Team inventory barcode on the side along with a sticker marking the unit as a "DVT" prototype and listing the manufacturers of a number of components used inside the device. The device also has a plain Apple logo on its top as had been used when the device was initially previewed as the "iTV". Apple added a "tv" next to the logo for the shipping version of the product, which was renamed "Apple TV".

apple tv prototype software
The photos also show the device booted up and displaying the stock photo screensaver, although it is not connected to the Internet and the item's description indicates that it has not been fully tested for functionality. Interestingly, despite the hardware bearing a resemblance to the pre-2007 iTV, the device does appear to have received software updates since that time, as it is running the more modern user interface introduced as Apple TV 3.0 in late 2009.

Prototypes of Apple hardware do appear from time to time on eBay, with some notable examples including third-generation iPod touches, a Mac Pro, and an early MacBook Air. Many of these listings have been quickly pulled, presumably at the request of Apple once they come to its attention.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)

Popular Stories

cook trump

Trump Responds to Apple Keeping Diversity Policies

Wednesday February 26, 2025 6:32 am PST by
In an all-caps post on Truth Social today, U.S. President Donald Trump said Apple should fully end its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. Tim Cook meeting with President Trump in 2017 "APPLE SHOULD GET RID OF DEI RULES, NOT JUST MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THEM," he wrote. Trump's post comes one day after Apple held its annual shareholders meeting, during which a majority of...
iOS 18

Apple Says iOS 18.4 Will Be Released in April With These New Features

Wednesday February 26, 2025 7:15 am PST by
In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 18.4 will be released in April. From the Apple News+ Food announcement:Coming with iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 in April, Apple News+ subscribers will have access to Apple News+ Food, a new section that will feature tens of thousands of recipes — as well as stories about restaurants, healthy eating, kitchen essentials, and more — from the...
apple watch ultra snow

6 Features Coming to the Apple Watch Ultra 3

Tuesday February 25, 2025 9:00 am PST by
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to launch later this year, arriving two years after the previous model with a series of improvements. While no noticeable design changes are expected for the third generation since the company tends to stick with the same Apple Watch design through three generations before changing it, there are a series of internal upgrades on the way. By the time the ...
iPhone Fold Vertical Feature

Apple's 2026 Foldable iPhone Has No Visible Display Crease – Report

Tuesday February 25, 2025 2:58 am PST by
Apple is making significant headway on its long-rumored foldable iPhone, with a new report suggesting the company has achieved a major breakthrough by effectively eliminating the screen crease that plagues current foldable devices. According to Korean publication ETNews, Apple is finalizing its component suppliers for the foldable iPhone, with the selection process expected to be completed...
trump iphone dictation issue

Apple Fixing 'Trump' Dictation Processing Bug

Tuesday February 25, 2025 1:18 pm PST by
Multiple iPhone owners today noticed a pronunciation processing issue that causes the word "Trump" to momentarily show up when using dictation to send a message with the word "racist." In some cases, when speaking the word racist through the iPhone's built-in dictation feature, the iPhone briefly interprets the spoken word as "Trump" and "Trump" text shows up in the Messages app before being ...
airpods pro purple

Here's When AirPods Pro 3 Are Rumored to Launch

Monday February 24, 2025 9:14 am PST by
According to a post on X today from a leaker known as Kosutami, Apple plans to launch AirPods Pro 3 in May or June this year. The leaker also claimed that an AirTag 2 will launch around the same time. Kosutami is best known as a collector of prototype Apple hardware, but they have occasionally shared accurate information about Apple's future product plans. For example, they accurately...
airtag orange

AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch in May or June With These New Features

Monday February 24, 2025 6:11 am PST by
Apple plans to launch a second-generation AirTag in May or June this year, according to a post today from a leaker known as Kosutami. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that a new AirTag would be released in mid-2025. May or June would align with that timeframe. Below, we recap three new features rumored for the AirTag 2: With a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, the...
ios 18 4 carplay

iOS 18.4 Includes a Small But Useful Change for CarPlay

Sunday February 23, 2025 2:23 pm PST by
The first beta of iOS 18.4 is now available, and it includes a small but useful change for CarPlay. As we noted in our list of iOS 18.4 features, CarPlay now shows a third row of icons, up from two rows previously. However, this change is only visible in vehicles with a larger center display. For example, a MacRumors Forums member noticed the change in a Toyota Tundra, which can be equipped...

Top Rated Comments

important Avatar
180 months ago
Can I jailbreak this thing (the ATV, not Pogue) and SSH XBMC onto it?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mcmlxix Avatar
180 months ago
This product will not be called the iTV. That brand name has already been taken by a major UK TV channel company identically named, iTV.
This article is about something that was a prototype and not is a prototype. History shows us that it was indeed named :apple:TV rather than iTV.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mack pro Avatar
180 months ago
Slow news day?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iMacC2D Avatar
180 months ago
Removed.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Capt Underpants Avatar
180 months ago
I don't get why people pay more for a less powerful device with no warranty...:confused:
Ever heard of collecting? It's a hobby (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobby) that many people enjoy.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ten-oak-druid Avatar
180 months ago
Someone was dumpster diving in Cuppertino.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)