Demand for the Apple TV 4K has surged in the last few weeks as consumers seek ways to stream UHD content going into the holidays, claims a new report by Joshua Fruhlinger, publisher of data-driven site Thinknum.
According to Best Buy sales rank data for streaming 4K devices in the month of November, the 32GB model of Apple's streaming set-top box has surpassed cheaper alternatives including the $40 Roku and Google's $70 Chromecast Ultra, placing the $180 Apple TV 4K a close second behind Amazon's market-leading $35 Fire Stick.
The launch of the fourth-generation Apple TV in 2015, bringing Siri integration and a full App Store, resulted in a big jump in Apple TV sales, but the device still ranked as only the fourth most popular streaming media player in the U.S., coming in behind Roku, Amazon, and Google. Since the launch of the fifth-generation Apple TV 4K last year, however, interest appears to have soared, as Fruhlinger notes:
It wasn't always this way — in fact, the Apple TV 4K has only been on the market for a little over a year. As the graph above shows, when zoomed out, the 4K race is has been a fluctuating affair. But now with the latest device revisions and 4K TV's market penetration, it appears sales are learning in Apple's direction.
Earlier this year, Apple TV Apple brought Dolby Atmos support to Apple TV 4K, and rumors have suggested Apple is planning to roll out a streaming service next year, perhaps as early as March.
On Wednesday, a report claimed Apple is considering creating a lower-cost Apple TV dongle that's similar to the Amazon Fire Stick or the Google Chromecast, a move that would aim to promote its upcoming streaming service and make it more accessible to potential buyers.
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
Tuesday April 22, 2025 10:22 am PDT by Juli Clover
Apple plans to release an all-new super thin iPhone this year, debuting it alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We've seen pictures of dummy models, cases, and renders with the design, but Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy today showed off newer dummy models that give us a better idea of just how thin the "iPhone 17 Air" will be.
The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be ...
Thursday April 24, 2025 2:14 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
If you missed the video showing dummy models of Apple's all-new super thin iPhone 17 Air that's expected later this year, Sonny Dickson this morning shared some further images of the device in close alignment with the other dummy models in the iPhone 17 lineup, indicating just how thin it is likely to be in comparison.
The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be around 5.5mm thick – with a thicker ...
Tuesday April 22, 2025 5:01 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
A developer has demonstrated Windows 11 ARM running on an M2 iPad Air using emulation, which has become much easier since the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations came into effect.
As spotted by Windows Latest, NTDev shared an instance of the emulation on social media and posted a video on YouTube (embedded below) demonstrating it in action. The achievement relies on new EU regulatory...
Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025:
Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup.
If you skipped the iPhone...
Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 18.5 to developers today, and so far the software update includes only a few minor changes.
The changes are in the Mail and Settings apps.
In the Mail app, you can now easily turn off contact photos directly within the app, by tapping on the circle with three dots in the top-right corner.
In the Settings app, AppleCare+ coverage information is more...
Thursday April 24, 2025 8:24 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device.
Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
The remote is pretty much the only reason I don't want one. I bought a 4th gen and returned it after 2 weeks back when they first launched. I know you can use the old remote which is simple but Apple really needs to re-think the next remote. Still rocking 2x Apple TV 3rd gens, never have any issues!
The remote is pretty much the only reason I don't want one. I bought a 4th gen and returned it after 2 weeks back when they first launched. I know you can use the old remote which is simple but Apple really needs to re-think the next remote.
The remote is so terrible. The touchpad is hard to control and unintuitive. Normal buttons would have been fine.
A 3 year old can figure out how to use a Roku remote or the old Apple TV remote. Adult guests in my house just give up watching tv if they have to use the new Apple TV remote, it’s so terrible.
I have never tried traveling with one. Wonder if you baffled the TSA when they X-rayed the ATV in your luggage, especially, when it was in your carry-on
ATVs are not a problem for the TSA.
Actually, when ever my wife and I travel together, we bring a bunch of "marital aids" with us. I always put them in my wife's bag just in case some thing happens, which I would find it hilarious to watch her explain what they were. But, it has never happened.
I'm sure it looks funny on the X-ray though.
Traveling with an ATV can be a challenge. Mine has never worked right without an internet connection, and depending on the WiFi login method, won’t be possible in some locations since the ATV does not have a web browser. When it works it’s great, but it’s still cumbersome to travel with and set up. I tend to travel with a Lightning to HDMI adapter for that reason, since I can usually plug into the HDMI cable connecting to a TV, and just plug my iPhone directly in. I’d definitely be interested in a smaller more transportable ATV dongle, but I’d be surprised if it didn’t have the same limitations for connecting with WiFi networks that the current model does.
A lot of people don't know this, but you can connect your ATV to most hotels' Wifi, even if they have a browser login. You can also use AirPlay.
I am just copy and pasting a post I did a few days ago on a thread with a person with a similar issue:
I take my Apple TV with me when ever I travel, and I can always connect it to the corporate chains' Wifi.
Every hotel room I have stayed in at least the past 6 years has instructions in the room on how to connect to their Wifi, and they all have a phone number listed on their for help. Call the number, tell the person what you are trying to do. They will ask for your ATV's MAC address, and they enter it in their system. Then just select the network name on the ATV and it will connect.
Now, whether AirPlay will work, I am not sure if it will on every network, but I have used AirPlay in two place after having the Helpdesk connect my ATV, and it worked both times.
Anyways, try it out, it doesn't take long. Every time I have done it, it took longer to read out the MAC address than to get a hold of the Wifi support rep as a person almost always answer the line for me and I don't have to be put on hold.
