New Apple TV 4K (2022): everything we know so far
The Apple TV (2022) is the expected follow-up to the current Apple TV 4K – a new version of Apple's streaming set-top box – not to be confused with Apple TV (the app on Apple devices and smart TVs) or Apple TV+ (the streaming service).
- More powerful A14 chip with more memory
- New Siri remote spotted in iOS 16
- Cheaper model may be coming
There's growing evidence for a new Apple TV 4K being in the works, partly from analysts and leakers who've revealed possible info about it, but also from a stray mention of a new remote in iOS 16.
Whether that means a replacement for the Apple TV 4K (2021) will arrive any time soon remains to be seen – we would be surprised if it appears in 2022, frankly, since the current model was only released in spring 2021 and is very up to date on the hardware involved, such as HDMI 2.1 support. But it's certainly not impossible if Apple has a good reason to create a new box.
The big question right now is what kind of price to expect: one rumor says that Apple's working on a much cheaper and smaller version, more like a streaming stick than the current boxy model. But another rumor says that Apple is planning on using a higher-end processor, which suggests that the current design would stick around with upgraded innards – and that probably means no price drop.
We think Apple should make a cheaper streaming stick – and we talk about why here – but until that becomes official, let's go through what we know so far.
New Apple TV (2022) news and updates
June 28 2022 – Mark Gurman at Bloomberg reports that Apple is working on a new Apple TV model with an upgraded A14 processor and more memory.
June 24 2022 – Developers testing iOS 16 discover code relating to a new version of the Siri Remote used for the Apple TV.
June 7 2022 – As WWDC comes and goes without any major tvOS announcements, we worry about the future of the Apple TV platform.
May 25 2022 – Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says that Apple is working on a new cheaper model of Apple TV, due for launch some time in 2022.
New Apple TV (2022): price and release date
If the Mark Gurman rumor that the new Apple TV will feature a more powerful A14 chip is true, then it seems likely that we shouldn't expect a new version of the Apple TV 4K to be cheaper than it is now – that sounds likely to be a straight replacement.
However, the rumor from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo that Apple is working on a cheaper version – perhaps one that would be more like a simple streaming stick, without as many elaborate apps and games as the main Apple TV – might mean the option of a cheaper version.
A cheaper version could make sense not because Apple especially wants a cheap TV box (it already offers the Apple TV app on many TVs for free, so that would seem to be the company's route to reach more people cheaply) – but rather, as a support device for Apple Fitness+. If you want to use this service on your big TV, where it works best, you need both an Apple Watch and an Apple TV – it adds up. A cheaper TV stick might help push people to use Apple's paid fitness service.
As for a release date, we'd be surprised to see it appear in 2022 if it's just an upgrade of the existing box, because Apple last updated it only in 2021, and nothing meaningful has changed in terms of features it really needs.
However, a cheaper version might make sense to release before Christmas, so if that version exists, we wouldn't be shocked to see it late in 2022.
New Apple TV 4K (2022): features
There's no reason to expect major new features from the new Apple TV. The Apple TV 4K (2021) was updated with HDMI 2.1, and is already much more powerful than just about any other streaming box on the planet.
There are some software features that the Apple TV doesn't have yet (such as HDR10+ support, though that is coming soon), but these wouldn't require new hardware.
The upgrade to its processor might allow for more advanced gaming features, but these will only be used sparingly, most likely.
What we'd be really interested in is a Siri Remote that includes the Ultra Wideband communication technology from Apple's AirTags, so that you could use an iPhone to literally point you towards which couch cushion the remote is hiding under when you lose it.
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