The iStore has opened pre-orders for the Apple TV 4K, Apple HomeView, and Apple HomePod mini 2 in South Africa. The Fruit Company revealed the new lineup earlier this week at its ‘Welcome Home’ event. Now, Apple’s local distributor has followed suit, confirming launch dates and, most importantly, prices, ahead of their debut.
Smart home for a price
All three devices will launch on 13 November — the same day as the States — despite what the iStore’s home page says. No, the Apple TV 4K isn’t launching on 13 October, before the thing had even been announced. Visit each product’s pre-order page directly, and it’ll display the correct 13 November launch date.
Now for the fun bit: the cost. The Apple TV 4K (4th-gen) saw a $300 price attached overseas — double what the 128GB model cost back in 2022. You’ll be the judge of whether the new Siri features, slightly improved controller, 128GB standard storage, and ‘new’ A19 chipset are worth the R6,300 price that the iStore has revealed.
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Next up is the Apple HomeView, a new take on a smart home hub that’ll keep an eye on the rest of your home. It’ll either be mounted to your wall or resting on a half-dome speaker base, depending on which model you pick up. There doesn’t appear to be any distinction on the local retailer’s site, which only lists the R6,300 pre-order price.
Finally, there’s the Apple HomePod mini 2. It’s the cheapest of the bunch at R3,500, but it’s also the least intriguing. It’s nothing more than a suped-up smart home speaker that’s added Bluetooth 6, Wi-Fi 6E, and a new S10 chip. Lest we forget the speaker’s new ‘Sound Glow’ feature, which pulses to match your music’s cover art.
