Leaked: Apple TV set for launch in October, price may be as high as $199

New iPhones won’t be the only big ticket item Apple announces at its upcoming media event slated to take place on September 9. While there have been rumors that Apple may take the time to introduce new iPad models, one new product that will assuredly be on the agenda will be a completely revamped Apple TV.

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A long time coming, Apple’s next-gen Apple TV will house some substantive upgrades. In addition to a respectfully speedy A8 processor, it’s widely believed that Apple’s new set top box will come with Siri support, a new touch screen remote control, a new and more intuitive interface, and perhaps the most intriguing new feature of all, support for a dedicated App Store.

One data point that we hadn’t yet seen, though, was price. Filling in the details, per usual, is Mark Gurman of 9to5Mac who writes that the upcoming device — slated for release in October — will either be priced at $149 or $199.

According to sources, the fourth-generation Apple TV will be priced below $200, and is on track to become available in October. Apple executives are apparently still finalizing the price of the revamped living room device, but the latest options call for a starting price point of either $149 or $199, both higher than the third-generation Apple TV…

Indeed, the third-gen Apple TV was originally priced at $99, so Apple here is clearly banking on the fact that people will be willing to plunk down more cash for better hardware and expanded functionality.

While a $199 pricepoint — if Apple goes down that route — is admittedly pretty pricey, the prospect of an App Store teeming with quality games instantly makes the value proposition much more alluring.

Looking further ahead, the one feature that will truly make the Apple TV a must-have is access to Apple’s long-rumored TV subscription service. Though reportedly delayed until 2016, Apple is hoping to get its own pseudo-cable service with a collection of about 25 channels up and running in the next few months. Just recently we reported how Apple is hoping to price its TV subscription service at $40/month but is being met with resistance from content providers.