Apple is anticipated to launch a brand new model of its set-top streaming field later this yr, and we’ve seen a number of new options and modifications rumored for the brand new machine. Since we haven’t seen a brand new model of the Apple TV for almost three years now, we will anticipate a number of options of the upcoming field to be new or up to date.
So, what can we anticipate to see from the upcoming Apple TV? Listed here are the rumors we’ve seen to this point, and the prospect it is going to occur (percentages are solely a product of the author’s thoughts).
A Newer Chip (100%)
At the moment, the Apple TV is powered by the A15 Bionic chip, the identical chip that debuted within the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Professional fashions in 2022. Releasing a brand new Apple TV powered by an older chip, just like the A15, can be inconceivable, at the very least in my humble opinion.
We are able to anticipate Apple to make use of a more recent chip within the new Apple TV, probably an A18 or A19 chip. A more recent chip would offer improved efficiency general. Since (IMHO) it could be ridiculous for any new Apple machine to not provide Apple Intelligence help, a brand new Apple Silicon-based chip simply is sensible.
Help for Quicker Wi-Fi (85%)
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has mentioned Apple’s subsequent Apple TV will present help for Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, which might provide sooner Wi-Fi speeds over the present Apple TV’s normal Wi-Fi 6 help. Gurman says the brand new Apple TV will use Apple’s personal mixed Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip. This could, after all, require a Wi-Fi 6E-capable router.
There’s a risk that we may see a brand new Apple TV outfitted with a Wi-Fi 7-capable radio, which would offer even sooner Wi-Fi speeds and decrease latency than Wi-Fi 6E. Once more, a Wi-Fi 7-compatible router can be required for the sooner speeds and lowest latency.
Apple might attempt to get by with Wi-Fi 6, because it’s greater than quick sufficient to deal with streaming 4K video and on-line gaming. Nonetheless, if Apple decides to make use of its personal mixed Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, we will relaxation assured that the chip will help at the very least Wi-Fi 6E.
FaceTime Digicam (50/50)
When tvOS 17 debuted in 2023, it introduced with it a FaceTime app for the Apple TV, which allowed customers to make use of the rear digital camera of a related iPhone or iPad as a video digital camera and see their FaceTime calls on their huge display screen. If the brand new Apple TV boasted a built-in digital camera, of us would now not must depend on a secondary digital camera machine, like their iPhone.
Gurman mentioned in April 2024 that Apple was in discussions about providing a built-in digital camera on a future Apple TV, permitting it to deal with FaceTime calls and gesture-based controls with out the necessity for an exterior digital camera. Nonetheless, this might require the Apple TV to be positioned in such a technique to permit seeing the person always, that means it couldn’t be hidden behind the person’s tv or positioned in an unobtrusive spot in the lounge.
Nonetheless, if Apple is solely planning to supply an exterior digital camera that plugs into the again of the Apple TV, it may ship the required flexibility for the person to put the digital camera away from any hidden Apple TV.
Decrease Value (75%)
With worries about tariffs and rising element costs, a cheaper price for a brand new Apple TV might appear to be out of the query. That mentioned, Apple does want to remain aggressive with units from opponents, akin to Amazon, Google, and Roku. A lot of the Apple TV’s competing units are priced at $100 or much less (a lot much less), whereas the present Apple TV has a recommended retail worth of $129 ($149 for a unit with extra storage and an Ethernet connection).
Apple business analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has mentioned a sub-$100 worth would show to be a “candy spot” for a brand new Apple TV, however didn’t point out methods Apple would be capable of hit that worth level.
There’s a precedent for a sub-$100 Apple TV, because the third-generation 2012 mannequin was priced at $99 at launch, and Apple ultimately dropped that to $69 just a few months earlier than the brand new tvOS-powered fourth-generation Apple TV got here alongside in 2015.
When Will We See a New Apple TV?
Gurman has mentioned he expects to see a brand new Apple TV “towards the top of the yr.” So, we may even see the brand new Apple TV debut as “yet another factor” at Apple’s iPhone and Apple Watch press occasion in September.
Of the seven Apple TV set-top containers Apple has launched, 5 have been introduced within the fall:
- First-generation Apple TV: September 2006 (initially introduced as “iTV”)
- Second-generation Apple TV: September 2010
- Third-generation Apple TV: March 2012
- Fourth-generation Apple TV: September 2015 (renamed “Apple TV HD” in March 2019)
- First-generation Apple TV 4K: September 2017
- Second-generation Apple TV 4K: April 2021
- Third-generation Apple TV 4K: October 2022
Even when the brand new set-top field doesn’t land in September, it’s a protected guess we’ll see it by November to permit for gross sales in the course of the profitable vacation purchasing season.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]