Nikkei: Apple Working on New Apple TV for Release Next Year

Multiple rumors have indicated that Apple is working on a refreshed version of the Apple TV, and a report today by Nikkei Asia Review adds to speculation that Apple will release a new version of its set-top box next year.

apple tv 4k
Cites sources familiar with Apple's plans, Nikkei's ‌Apple TV‌ mention appears in a broader report about Apple's 2021 production plans.

Apple is also preparing an aggressive production schedule for its high-end computers, including the MacBook Pro and iMac Pro, for 2021, two other people familiar with the matter said. The company is in the midst of replacing Intel central processors in its computer lineups with self-designed CPUs built using technology from British chip designer Arm. Apple already introduced three MacBook models powered by its M1 central processor in late 2020 and announced it will take about two years to fully transition to CPUs designed in-house. The U.S. tech giant is also working on a new Apple TV, a home entertainment device for video-on-demand services, for next year, one of the people said.

Rumors have been bubbling all year about a new ‌Apple TV‌ ever since signs of the unreleased device were spotted in an iOS 13.4 beta in January. At the time, rumors suggested it would feature an A12 chip and come in 64 and 128GB storage sizes.

Since then, there have been signs of a new ‌‌Apple TV‌‌ with an updated remote in iOS 14 code, and leaker Jon Prosser has suggested the new ‌Apple TV‌ will be equipped with an A12X Bionic chip. However, another rumor claimed it will use an A14 chip, the same chip used in the iPhone 12 lineup.

Beyond possible remote changes, storage capacities, an updated processor, and a "T1125" codename, there's little else known about the new ‌Apple TV‌, although Prosser recently suggested it could include a U1 chip that enables Ultra Wideband support for improved spatial awareness between devices.

Given the spate of rumors, one theory is that Apple is working on multiple ‌Apple TV‌ set-top boxes, which could explain the discrepancy in chip rumors. Whatever Apple's plans are, a new ‌Apple TV‌ next year feels like a safe bet – Apple hasn't updated the current ‌Apple TV‌ 4K since September 2017.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Tag: Nikkei
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 With Apple's Own 5G Modem 'Confirmed' to Launch in March

Tuesday November 19, 2024 12:12 pm PST by
Barclays analyst Tom O'Malley and his colleagues recently traveled to Asia to meet with various electronics manufacturers and suppliers. In a research note this week, outlining key takeaways from the trip, the analysts said they have "confirmed" that a fourth-generation iPhone SE with an Apple-designed 5G modem is slated to launch towards the end of the first quarter next year. In line with previo...
at t turbo indicator iphone 16 pro max v0 8hrh7w5f3w1e1

AT&T Turbo Indicator Showing Up in iPhone Status Bar for Subscribers

Wednesday November 20, 2024 3:42 am PST by
AT&T has begun displaying "Turbo" in the iPhone carrier label for customers subscribed to its premium network prioritization service, according to reports on Reddit. The new indicator seems to have started appearing after users updated to iOS 18.1.1, but that could be just coincidence. Image credit: Reddit user No_Highlight7476 The Turbo feature provides enhanced network performance through ...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Real Mock

Apple Releases iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 With Security Fixes

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:10 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1, minor updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that debuted earlier in September. iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 come three weeks after the launch of iOS 18.1. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released iOS 17.7.2 for...
apple card feature2

Apple Card 3% Daily Cash Back Now Available From Two More Apple Partners

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:36 am PST by
Apple has partnered with select merchants to offer Apple Card users three percent Daily Cash back on their purchases, and two new companies were added to the partner list today. When purchasing goods and services from Booking.com and ChargePoint, Apple Card users will now get more cash back. Booking.com is a site for reserving flights, cars, cruises, and hotels, while ChargePoint sells...
bug security vulnerability issue fix larry

Make Sure to Update: iOS 18.1.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 Fix Actively Exploited Vulnerabilities

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:52 am PST by
The iOS 18.1.1, iPadOS 18.1.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 updates that Apple released today address JavaScriptCore and WebKit vulnerabilities that Apple says have been actively exploited on some devices. With the JavaScriptCore vulnerability, processing maliciously crafted web content could lead to arbitrary code execution. The WebKit vulnerability had the same issue with maliciously crafted...
airtag purple

AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch Next Year With These New Features

Sunday November 17, 2024 5:18 am PST by
Apple released the AirTag in April 2021, so it is now three over and a half years old. While the AirTag has not received any hardware updates since then, a new version of the item tracking accessory is rumored to be in development. Below, we recap rumors about a second-generation AirTag. Timing Apple is aiming to release a new AirTag in mid-2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman....
15 inch m3 macbook air

Amazon Takes Up to $300 Off M3 MacBook Air With New All-Time Low Prices

Wednesday November 20, 2024 7:05 am PST by
Amazon today has knocked the price off of multiple M3 MacBook Air models, with as much as $300 off select computers. Prices start at $849.00 for the 13-inch M3 MacBook Air (16GB RAM/256GB), and also include multiple 15-inch models as well. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site ...
anker new xmas 1

Anker Kicks Off Massive Black Friday Sale With Up to 50% Off Sitewide, Free Gifts With Purchase, Mystery Boxes, and More

Thursday November 21, 2024 7:53 am PST by
Anker today kicked off its big Black Friday sale, which is set to run through December 9. This sale includes notable discounts on portable chargers, USB-C hubs, cables, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Anker. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. There are a few bonus offers during this event as ...

Top Rated Comments

Unggoy Murderer Avatar
51 months ago

I do hope they change the remote for the Apple TV. It is worse than useless.
I've never had any issues with it... what exactly makes it useless?
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
anyjungleinguy Avatar
51 months ago
HDMI 2.1 and its full feature set please.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
StrangeNoises Avatar
51 months ago
Being able to use Airpods Max Spatial Audio with it would be an obvious one, it's been a glaring omission with the current Apple TV units (which others have noted already) that's so glaring one presumes it's because they lack some necessary hardware to do it. (I think that's not the U1?)
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
EmotionalSnow Avatar
51 months ago
Maybe we'll also get a more gaming oriented Apple TV?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
and 1989 others Avatar
51 months ago
I do hope they change the remote for the Apple TV. It is worse than useless.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tspoon Avatar
51 months ago

Maybe we'll also get a more gaming oriented Apple TV?
I think this is really the whole point. With the M1, Apple now has a real GPU they can put on the SOC. The follow-ups to the M1 are supposed to have GPU's like high-end independent graphics cards. I think Apple's going to really try to make Apple TV a real 3rd major gaming console.
This would have sounded ludicrous a few years ago... because they'd have had:
[LIST=1]
* A likely insurmountable "chicken and egg" problem with a whole new system - no developers making big-name games, so nobody would buy the system for gaming. And with nobody buying the system for gaming, no developers would make big-name games for it.
* No particular "edge" over the competition. They'd have needed to design it with the same Intel/AMD chips and NVIDIA/ATI CPU's and common motherboards, RAM, etc as Sony and Microsoft. What would be the point in Apple trying to launch a new console as opposed to any other random company. Where's the value proposition?

Now both of those have changed. Major developers are already making big-name games for the iPhone. Porting to Apple TV will be relatively easy. And they'll at least have a big install base of AppleTV users readily available to kickstart the chicken/egg problem.

And on the hardware side, they can do an M1-like SOC with an even bigger GPU and make something that's competitive or even beats Playstation and Xbox hardware for way cheaper than Sony and Microsoft make their consoles. I think Apple can throw console-class performance into Apple TV size, power, and price-range, due to their custom SOC's.

I think it would be a massive business blunder if they don't go after becoming the 3rd big gaming console. I think the console wars are about to change.

And if Apple does a console that is as good or better than PS5 or Xbox Series X for less money, plus it's an Apple TV, then I think they'll do very well in that segment. It'll take a while to gain market share, but they'll be in a strong position.

Also, games developed for the new console would run on M1 Macs, further expanding the potential player base... and allowing Apple to try to compete with Microsoft for gamers again. It's going to be ridiculous if, over the coming years, the big games start being released for Macs, and Apple's chips are so good that off-the-shelf Macbooks and iMacs are beating system builder's nutso cutting-edge SLI towers.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)