Apple TV

All the rumours about new Apple TV 4K

Apple TV 4K Powered by A12X processor – as utilized in the 2018 iPad Pro

Double the storage

Brand new Remote

Following the launch of Apple’s TV+ service way back in November 2019, and with the arrival of the Apple Arcade gaming service,

it’s time Apple launched a replacement Apple TV. So news that a replacement Apple TV is within the pipeline is welcome.

The lack of a replacement and improved – or a minimum of cheaper – Apple TV is astounding given the quantity of cash Apple has spent creating content for the new TV service. Here’s how the present Apple TV lineup looks:

Apple TV 4K:

Unveiled in September 2017, it’s powered by the A10X Fusion chip found within the 2017 iPad Pro models and supported the A10 chip utilized in 2016’s iPhone 7 and seven Plus. From £179/$179.

Apple TV HD: a good less powerful model than the 4K, the HD Apple TV launched in 2015 and sports the A8 chip found within the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus (which dates back to 2014.) From £149/$149.

While it’s true that the Apple TV doesn’t require quite an equivalent amount of processing power because the iPhone and iPad – on which we could also be using more demanding apps with extreme graphics requirements.

It does seem amiss that Apple has did not develop the hardware while it’s promoted the Apple TV as a gaming console because of Apple Arcade (which launched in September 2019). Apple’s failure to bring the Apple TV into line with other devices in its line up is disappointing.

So, having established that Apple must address the performance gap in Apple TV hardware when is that the new Apple TV likely to arrive?

Before we plan to answer that question, is there an opportunity that we may never see a replacement Apple TV? Could Apple discontinue the Apple TV?

Is there a requirement for streaming boxes now that the majority of TVs are connected to the web and have apps of their own so that users can access Netflix, Amazon Prime, and even Apple’s TV+ on some models?

Apple TV

Will Apple launch a replacement Apple TV?

We think that it is unlikely that Apple would discontinue its streaming box given its plan to combat Netflix and Amazon with its on-demand TV service. However, choosing instead to partner with TV manufacturers and other set-top-box manufacturers like Samsung, who offer Apple’s TV app on a variety of its TVs. you’ll examine the various devices that support the Apple TV app here.

However, we do not just need to guess at Apple’s plans for the Apple TV – there’s actual evidence suggesting that a replacement version of the Apple TV will launch in 2020.

In February 2020 Apple spotted that files inside the tvOS 13.4 beta referenced hardware codenamed T1125. this might be a replacement Apple TV.

the 2 current Apple TV models are codenamed J105a and J42d.

That same site later revealed that a leaked early build of iOS 14 indicated that a replacement Apple Remote is additionally within the pipeline.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman also expects to ascertain a replacement Apple TV this year.

Apple TV

Price drop

One change we’d wish to see maybe a change to the worth.

Currently, you’ll get a 32GB 4th generation Apple TV for £149/$149 – buy from Apple here.

The newer (September 2017) Apple TV 4K currently sells for £179/$179 (with 32GB of storage) or £199/$199 (64GB) – you’ll buy one from Apple here. (We have this gather of the simplest Apple TV deals.)

These prices are very high in comparison to dongles like Amazon’s Fire Stick (from £39.99) and therefore the Google Chromecast (from £30), and therefore the Roku offerings (£39.99). Considering the hearth and therefore the Roku also access to the Apple TV+ content you would possibly wonder what Apple TV has that these cheaper dongles don’t… (More thereon below).

It’s not only that the Apple TV costs such a lot quite other devices. Are people getting to take kindly to paying quite £150 for a box if they even have to pay a monthly subscription for Apple’s new TV service and therefore the Apple Arcade gaming subscription service to completely enjoy the hardware? we expect not! Currently, you’ll a minimum of getting a year’s subscription to Apple TV+ if you are doing buy one but that’s not an enormous incentive at the worth.

Apple offers a less expensive Apple TV dongle to compete with the hearth Stick and Google Chromecast. A dongle might help the corporate reach the masses with its new streaming video service. a piece of writing on the knowledge in November 2018 claimed that Apple was indeed considering such a move. We’d love a smaller Apple TV that plugged directly into the rear of our TV (which hangs on the wall and has no space for boxes around the side – and we’re sure we aren’t the sole one with a group up like that.)

But it doesn’t need to be a smaller Apple TV, Apple could still sell the present models at a lower cost. within the recent past Apple has sold the Apple TV for £99/$99 (until 2014) so reducing the worth thereto level wouldn’t be completely out of character. Apple has even cut the worth of that box to £79/$69 at one point.

We’d wish to see the worth less than £79/$69 though, given the lower prices of the above competition (e.g. £39/$39).

Apple TV

Specs

Here’s what we’re expecting (or hoping for) in terms of spec updates.

Processor
With new power-hungry services now on the Apple TV, like the Apple Arcade gaming subscription service, and therefore the HomeKit Secure Video service, the Apple TV seems likely to profit from a next-generation processor, like the A14 expected to arrive with the iPhone 12 later in 2020.

Indeed, a Bloomberg report on 1 September 2020 suggested that Apple is giving the Apple TV a faster processor “for improved gaming”. However, that report indicates the new Apple TV won’t launch until 2021.

Prosser, on the opposite hand, suggests that the new Apple TV will feature an A12X chip – which is that the same chip utilized in the 2018 iPad Pro.

There is evidence that Prosser might be right about the processor:

files found within the tvOS 13.4 beta code back in February indicated that new hardware thought to be a replacement Apple TV is going to be supported the arm64e architecture which is that the same as is employed by the A12 and A13 Bionic chips.

We can also see one among the Apple made T-series chips inside the Apple TV too, perhaps powering Siri.

Should Apple plan to use an A14 chip instead that might allow vastly improved graphics performance and up to 6GB of RAM, consistent with the 9to5 Mac report mentioned above.

Bigger disk drive
Given the 4K capabilities within the most up-to-date Apple TV, we felt that an increased storage allocation was likely, but instead, it comes in 32GB and 64GB models, an equivalent as on the 4th-gen model.

4K movies can only be streamed, not downloaded, much to the annoyance of the many Apple TV owners who don’t need to be forced to stream a movie they own.

Apple will add a 128GB offering at some point, and a 256GB version might be added. Mind you, we suspect that Apple’s customers don’t need such a lot, since they have a tendency to be streaming content and storing content in iCloud.

Rumors do indeed suggest that the new model will offer 64GB or 128GB storage options.

Graphics
Reports suggest that the new Apple TV might get HDMI 2.1 which offers an Auto Low-Latency Mode which will adjust a television’s settings to raised display fast-moving content with none lag.

A new Remote
The 1 September Bloomberg report also indicates that there’ll be an upgraded remote.

We hope that Apple has overhauled the Remote. we do not just like the Apple TV remote currently. Apple’s theory is that having tons of buttons makes a foreign complicated to use, which is fair enough, but the Apple Remote is complicated to use.

It’s called the Siri Remote because you’re alleged to use Siri to regulate the Apple TV instead of the remote itself, but we aren’t that sold on the thought of controlling everything with our voice.

Unfortunately, the buttons aren’t easy to locate without looking down at the remote, and therefore the touch-sensitive trackpad area at the highest of the remote is just too small to be useful. the remote itself is simply too small to be held comfortably.

But most folks have lost out Remote anyway and are counting on our iPhones to regulate our Apple TV…

Speaking of which, that Bloomberg report (above) suggests that Apple is functioning on a feature for the new remote almost like Find My iPhone that might make the TV accessory easier to seek out.

We’ve been hoping for a Find My Remote feature for a few times and it seems our prayers are being answered.

New features we’d like to see

The new Apple TV is probably going to feature an array of latest hardware features, which we outline within the below section.

Even existing Apple TV models will enjoy software-related updates, with regular updates to tvOS – the version of iOS that works on the Apple TV.

Here are a couple of the new features we’d like to see on Apple TV.

Mac mini Apple TV
We’ve always thought it might be great is that if Apple combined the Mac mini with the Apple TV so that you’ll have a media center in your front room with all the features of both Mac and Apple TV.

With the TV app arriving on the Mac perhaps this functionality is already coming to the Mac mini – and everyone other Macs.

Any Mac might be plugged into a TV screen and therefore the TV+ service runs from that device.

HomePod Apple TV Combo
This is another possibility, especially within the light of stories that Apple has switched the software on the HomePod from iOS to tvOS, consistent with a 9to5Mac report.

This is significant for a couple of reasons.

  • Is that power consumption isn’t a problem for the HomePod or Apple TV as they’re always plugged in, unlike iOS devices, so there’s not the necessity for code that permits for that?
  • also notes that both devices operate as a home hub for HomeKit since they’re always connected, one more reason why they ought to share common code.
  • A final reason is that the incontrovertible fact that the Apple TV and HomePod are using older processors and by unifying the software it enables Apple to support those devices even after it stops supporting equivalent processors in iOS.

But the really interesting idea is that if it could indicate that a future device could combine the features of both the HomePod and therefore the Apple TV. As we speculated during this article about How Apple Could Improve HomePod, we’d wish to see Apple add a screen to the HomePod.

AirPod Siri support
You can pair the Apple AirPods with the Apple TV – with older AirPods it’s possible to pause shows with a double-tap.

Now that Siri commands are often used with AirPods 2 (they can answer “Hey Siri” commands), it’ll be possible to activate Siri on the Apple TV via the new AirPods.

It is possible to use other Bluetooth headphones with the Apple TV?

Some Bluetooth devices are often paired, especially if one among them is an audio accessory.

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