Apple is considering creating a lower-cost Apple TV dongle that's similar to the Amazon Fire Stick or the Google Chromecast, reports The Information.
Apple has held discussions about introducing such a product, which would be priced lower than the Apple TV and would be able to be plugged into the back of a television set.
The company is said to be contemplating such a hardware device to promote an upcoming streaming service that's in the works. A lower-cost Apple TV dongle would make the service, which will be available only on Apple devices, more accessible to potential buyers.
Right now, Apple's only television product is the Apple TV, priced at $179 for the Apple TV 4K and $149 for the non-4K version. Current TV dongles from Amazon and Google are priced much lower, at $25 to $35.
Rumors have suggested Apple is planning to roll out a streaming service next year, perhaps as early as March, and it is set to launch in more than 100 countries in 2019.
Apple may offer the streaming service on a standalone basis, or bundle it up with Apple Music and an Apple News subscription that includes Texture, the magazine service that it purchased.
Original television content created by Apple could be made available for free to iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV users through the TV app. Apple is also negotiating deals to provide access to subscription channels like HBO and STARZ.
For its streaming service, Apple has more than a dozen original television shows in the works, and it has inked deals with production companies for movies. A full list of all of the projects Apple has in the works right now can be found in our Apple TV roundup.
Sunday October 12, 2025 7:05 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple plans to announce new products "this week," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Apple's "Mac Your Calendars" teaser last October
In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the products set to be updated this week include the iPad Pro, Vision Pro, and "likely" the base 14-inch MacBook Pro, with all three likely to receive a spec bump with Apple's next-generation M5 chip.
Gurman...
Saturday October 11, 2025 6:59 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple's software engineers are internally testing iOS 26.0.2, according to MacRumors logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions.
iOS 26.0.2 will likely be a minor update that addresses bugs and/or security vulnerabilities, but we do not know any specific details yet.
The update will likely be released within the next few weeks.
Last month, Apple released iOS...
Saturday October 11, 2025 10:10 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still nearly a year away, a handful of new features and changes have already been rumored for the devices.
Below, we have recapped some of the early iPhone 18 Pro rumors so far.
Smaller Dynamic Island
The standard iPhone 18, iPhone 18 Pro, and iPhone 18 Pro Max will be equipped with a slightly smaller Dynamic Island, but the devices will...
Monday October 13, 2025 8:25 am PDT by Eric Slivka
Buried in its announcement about "F1: The Movie" making its streaming debut on December 12, Apple has also announced that Apple TV+ is being rebranded as simply Apple TV.
A single line near the end of the press release states "Apple TV+ is now simply Apple TV, with a vibrant new identity," though Apple's website has yet to be updated with any changes, so we're unsure on the details of the...
Friday October 10, 2025 5:57 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Update: the Naver account appears to be referencing a speculative post on X by Vadim Yuryev, dated October 6. The original article follows.
Apple will announce new products through a series of press releases beginning as soon as next week, according to a dubious claim posted on the Korean blog Naver.
The Naver blog account yeux1122, which aggregates rather than originates Apple...
Sunday October 12, 2025 9:24 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
After releasing AirPods Pro 3 last month, Apple is already working on the next AirPods Pro, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
It is unclear if the new AirPods Pro would be branded as AirPods Pro 4, or if they would be considered an updated version of AirPods Pro 3. Gurman did not take a position, opting to describe them as a "new version" of the "high-end in-ear buds."
AirPods Pro 2...
Saturday October 11, 2025 9:06 am PDT by Eric Slivka
Apple has essentially discontinued Clips, its video-editing app designed to allow users to combine video clips, images, and photos with voice-based titles, music, filters, and graphics to create enhanced videos that can be shared on social media sites.
The app has been removed from the App Store, and a support document on Apple's site says that the app is no longer being updated and would no ...
Recent reports suggest that there are now no redesigned Apple Vision headsets in active development, with the company's focus pivoting decisively to smart glasses.
When Apple announced the Vision Pro in mid-2023, it described the device as the dawn of "spatial computing," a new paradigm that would eventually rival the iPhone in importance. With a $3,499 starting price, intricate design and...
Sunday October 12, 2025 9:43 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple's second-generation smart glasses with an in-lens display may have two modes, depending on which device they are connected to.
Meta Ray-Bans without an in-lens display
In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said he was told a future version of Apple's smart glasses may be able to run a full version of the visionOS operating system when they are paired with a Mac, and...
Apple is considering creating a lower-cost Apple TV dongle that's similar to the Amazon Fire Stick or the Google Chromecast, reports The Information ('https://www.theinformation.com/articles/apple-considered-new-connected-tv-dongle').
Apple has held discussions about introducing such a product, which would be priced lower than the Apple TV and would be able to be plugged into the back of a television set.
The company is said to be contemplating such a hardware device to promote an upcoming streaming service that's in the works. A lower-cost Apple TV dongle would make the service, which will be available only on Apple devices, more accessible to potential buyers.
Right now, Apple's only television product is the Apple TV, priced at $179 for the Apple TV 4K and $149 for the non-4K version. Current TV dongles from Amazon ('https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Fire-TV-Stick-With-Alexa-Voice-Remote-Streaming-Media-Player/dp/B00ZV9RDKK') and Google ('https://store.google.com/us/product/chromecast?hl=en-US') are priced much lower, at $25 to $35.
Rumors have suggested Apple is planning to roll out a streaming service next year, perhaps as early as March ('https://www.macrumors.com/2018/03/26/apple-tv-movie-programming-launch-march-2019/'), and it is set to launch ('https://www.macrumors.com/2018/10/23/apple-tv-service-coming-in-2019-100-countries/') in more than 100 countries in 2019.
Apple may offer the streaming service on a standalone basis, or bundle it up ('https://www.macrumors.com/2018/06/27/apple-streaming-service-bundle-tv-music-news/') with Apple Music and an Apple News subscription that includes Texture, the magazine service that it purchased.
Original television content created by Apple could be made available for free to iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV users through the TV app ('https://www.macrumors.com/2018/10/10/apple-tv-content-free-apple-device-owners/'). Apple is also negotiating deals to provide access to subscription channels like HBO and STARZ.
For its streaming service, Apple has more than a dozen original television shows in the works, and it has inked deals with production companies for movies. A full list of all of the projects Apple has in the works right now can be found in our Apple TV roundup ('https://www.macrumors.com/roundup/apple-tv/#original_content_efforts').
Article Link: Apple Considering Low Cost Apple TV Dongle to Provide Wider Access to Upcoming Streaming Service ('https://www.macrumors.com/2018/11/21/apple-tv-dongle-possible/')
[doublepost=1542835957][/doublepost]New dongle £109...next years AppleTV 5 - £499
This is a mistake. The ATV 4 and ATV 4K are worth every penny. At first I was underwhelmed with my ATV 4 but I know use it more than my PS4. It is fast, consumes just 5W and I get my full internet bandwidth over 5 GHz ac. The quality of Netflix is superb on it.
A cheap dongle like the Chromecast doesn’t belong in Apple’s lineup. They should stick to making premium products. Leave budget to everyone else.
I love the fact that the Apple TV has wired ethernet, too. I like being able to plug it directly into my network and not have potential interference affect it when I'm watching stuff. Stuff like Chromecast and FireTV don't have that; you MUST use WiFi.
('https://www.macrumors.com/2018/11/21/apple-tv-dongle-possible/')
