Back in May, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that a new Apple TV would be released in the second half of 2022. Last month, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also said that a new Apple TV was "getting closer" and "could potentially launch this year."
With a new version of the Apple TV potentially on the horizon, here are four rumored features and changes for the streaming box.
- Faster chip: Gurman said the new Apple TV will be equipped with an A14 Bionic chip, which is also found in all iPhone 12 models and the fourth-generation iPad Air. The upgraded chip will result in faster performance across apps and games compared to the current Apple TV 4K with an A12 Bionic chip.
- Increased RAM: The next Apple TV will also have an increased 4GB of RAM, up from 3GB in the current Apple TV 4K, according to Gurman. The memory boost would contribute to faster performance and responsiveness.
- New version of Siri Remote: In the iOS 16 beta, code-level references to a new and unreleased version of the Siri Remote for the Apple TV were discovered. It's unclear what new features the updated remote would have, but many customers are hoping for U1 chip integration for Find My support.
- Lower price: The new Apple TV will have an improved cost structure, according to Kuo, which could result in a lower price for customers. The current Apple TV 4K starts at $179 with 32GB of storage, while the older Apple TV HD remains available for $149. By comparison, there are many streaming sticks from brands like Chromecast and Roku available for as low as $25 to $50.
The current Apple TV 4K was announced in April 2021 and released a month later. It's uncommon for the Apple TV to receive a hardware refresh in back-to-back years, so a 2023 launch might be more likely than 2022, but Kuo and Gurman are both reputable sources and rumors suggest that the new model would be a minor update.
Gurman believes that an Apple Event is unlikely this October, so the new Apple TV would likely be announced with a press release if it is released in 2022.
