Apple has added the first-generation Apple TV 4K from 2017 to its list of vintage products, MacRumors reports. The change comes four days before a fourth-generation model is expected to debut.
According to Apple’s service policy, a product becomes vintage once Apple stopped selling it more than five and fewer than seven years ago. Apple says owners of products in that window can get service and parts for at least five years after the product was last sold, and up to seven years while parts are available. After seven years, Apple classifies a product as obsolete and discontinues all hardware service.
For the 2017 box, that means repairs are still possible but depend on parts. Apple stopped selling the model in autumn 2021, when the second-generation Apple TV 4K replaced it.
Software support had already ended
The label affects hardware service only. The original model is already behind on software: tvOS 27 supports only the second-generation (2021) and third-generation (2022) Apple TV 4K, according to AppleInsider. If you still run a 2017 unit, it keeps working with the apps and features it already has, but it won’t receive the newer ones we’ve covered, such as four-HomePod surround sound in tvOS 27.2.
The new model
MacRumors reports that Apple is expected to unveil the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K at its “Welcome home” launch on Tuesday, 13 October. We have the event details separately. Rumoured upgrades include an A19-class chip, more RAM, Wi-Fi 7 through Apple’s N1 chip, Apple Intelligence and Siri AI support, and a revised Siri Remote. A leaked Apple image suggests the design stays the same. None of this is confirmed until Apple announces it.
The current model launched in October 2022 with an A15 Bionic chip and 4GB of RAM, so the gap between generations will be close to four years.
Apple hasn’t said anything about UAE pricing or availability for the new model, and no reports cover regional trade-in terms, so owners of older boxes should wait for Tuesday’s announcement before deciding.
What does “vintage” mean for my Apple TV 4K?
Apple stopped selling it more than five years ago, so repairs and parts are limited and depend on availability. The device still works as before.
Is the 2017 Apple TV 4K still getting software updates?
No. tvOS 27 supports only the 2021 and 2022 models, so the 2017 unit no longer gets new tvOS releases.
Will it become obsolete?
Apple classifies products as obsolete once they’ve been off sale for more than seven years. It then stops all hardware service.
