Yesterday, Apple announced its annual Apple Store Shopping Event, where you can get Apple Gift Cards when you purchase an eligible device. One of those devices eligible for the upcoming promotion is the Apple TV. However, the Apple TV and the HomePod mini have been frequently rumored to be updated sometime this year. A few months ago, Apple accidentally leaked several references to its upcoming products, including a HomePod mini with the S11 chip and an Apple TV with the A17 Pro chip. At first, we expected Apple to announce these products in the fall, as we even saw the current HomePod mini backordered across several resellers. However, as we’re getting closer to the holiday shopping season and the end of the year, the likelihood of Apple updating these devices this month has started to become uncertain.
Could Apple update these products next month? It’s hard to say at this point, but Apple did launch a few products in December in the past. For example, Apple released the redesigned Mac Pro and the Pro Display XDR in December 2019, and the company also launched the AirPods Max in December 2020. Now, keep in mind that Apple’s extended return policy for the holidays is now in effect, so even if you already received either of those devices between November 12 and December 25, and Apple updates either of those devices sometime next month, you may still return them through January 8, 2026, to get their latest iterations at no extra charge.
In fact, I did a brief googling on deals for the Apple TV and the HomePod mini, and so far, there are virtually no good deals for either of those products, so if I were you, I would definitely get the Apple TV during the Apple Store Shopping Event so you can get that $25 Apple Gift Card as part of the promotion. Keep in mind that the HomePod mini will not be part of the upcoming promotion, but the full-size HomePod will be. If you’re in the market for either an Apple TV or a HomePod mini, it may be a better time to buy them now instead of later because, in general, discounts won’t start to appear until at least a month after those products get updated.
