Apple has added the first-generation Apple TV 4K, which launched in September 2017, to its vintage products list. The change happened on October 9, just days before the “Welcome home” event on Tuesday, October 13, where Apple is expected to unveil a new generation of the box.
What “vintage” means at Apple
Apple calls a product vintage when it stopped being manufactured more than five and less than seven years ago. Past seven years, it becomes obsolete. The clock starts when Apple stopped selling the product, not at launch. The 2017 model stayed on sale until 2021, when the second-generation box replaced it.
In practice, vintage means Apple and authorized providers can still repair the device as long as parts are available. Obsolete products lose hardware service entirely, and service providers can no longer order parts.
There are a few regional exceptions worth knowing about. Based on Apple’s policy as quoted by MacTrast, hardware service stays available for products bought in California, as state law requires. Outside the US, Apple Retail Stores and the regions in Canada, Europe, Latin America and Asia-Pacific follow the US list but treat vintage products as obsolete.
It still works fine
The label does not switch anything off. The 2017 Apple TV 4K supports 4K video, HDR10 and Dolby Vision, and runs on the A10X Fusion chip. It has also served as a home hub, letting you control accessories remotely and run automations in the Apple Home app.
One known gap: unlike newer models, it cannot act as a Thread border router. That matters for accessories that use Matter over Thread, as we explain in our guide to the Matter smart home standard. If your setup leans on that kind of device, a newer box makes your network more complete.
What comes next
Apple is expected to show a refreshed Apple TV on Tuesday. We covered what to expect in our Welcome home event preview. Until Apple confirms the details, the price and the release date for the new box remain unknown.
If you own the old model, there is no rush to replace it because of the classification. Upgrading makes sense if you want a Thread network or if the box starts to fail, since repair will eventually go away once it turns obsolete.
