We have been following rumors about a “state-of-the-art” Apple TV for more than a year. And with Apple’s next big event unveiled on Tuesday, April 20, we wonder again if this will finally be the time when Apple chooses to unveil its next dedicated streaming device. It’s something we’ve been thinking about leading at every major Apple event in the last 12 months and changing, and it’s given us a lot of time to think. So, while we hold our collective breath for an announcement that may or may not come on Tuesday, I decided to write down my own wish list for what I would like to see the next Apple TV.
An upgraded upgrade to the Apple TV remote control
Funny, perhaps one of the biggest complaints and improvements to the Apple TV experience among users has nothing to do with the device itself. Instead, there is a tangible demand for a new and improved Apple TV remote. The company has stayed with the current design for some time and many consider it time for some changes. Key points of pain include the touchpad interface, a symmetrical design that makes it harder to use without looking at it, and a slim form factor that even makes holding a challenge sometimes.
What would I like to see? A more ergonomic shape would be nice – something you could lift without looking and telling yourself easily if you hold it upside down or not. No texture with a little more grip would be the worst thing. Of course, a more precise touchpad or a revised navigation scheme would be welcome as well.
There is a lot of room for improvement in this space, while keeping that “Apple” brand design intact. Regardless of the high-end luxury specs, it comes with a potential new Apple TV, hopefully the included input device will see some much-needed improvements as well.
HDMI 2.1 on board
Recent rumors have also shown that 120Hz support is coming on tvOS. And while 120Hz (often referred to as 120 frames per second) has been a thing of the past, especially for gamers, it has taken on a meaning renewed late due to the emergence of a new standard: HDMI 2.1.
The included HDMI port of the Apple TV 4K is a 2.0a variant, which supports 4K video up to 60Hz or 60 frames per second. To reach this level up to 120, Apple should include the new HDMI 2.1 port, which increases the bandwidth from 18Gbps from 2.0a to a more robust 48Gbps. This is more than enough for 120Hz support at 4K. In fact, the HDMI 2.1 standard itself supports 4K120 and even 8K60 – although the latter use case could remain a bit rare for the near future.
However, having 4K / 120Hz support on board could help in a future new Apple TV, especially if the company would use this capability for, say, extended gaming options. More on that later.
Much improved internal specifications
Apple TV 4K from the 2017 era still offers more than enough power to serve as a state-of-the-art streaming device – so it may not seem so sensitive or necessary to drastically upgrade your hardware to a state-of-the-art Apple TV generation. Again, Apple is known to wrap powerful chips in devices that just don’t want more power. The A10X Fusion SoC (system on a chip) 4K is a variant of the chip that powered the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. And if Apple follows a similar model here, a state-of-the-art Apple TV could have a more powerful version of the iPhone 12’s A14 Bionic.
There is a lot of speculation that Apple will unveil new iPad Pro at the April 20 event, and they could very well have an A14 model built inside. If so, it’s not so much to think that a new Apple TV could also contain similar hardware.
Of course, that’s a lot more power than a dedicated streaming device really needs, so it would make sense for a state-of-the-art Apple TV to continue to expand in capabilities far beyond standard streaming entertainment.
A Focus Beyond Streaming – Augmented Reality, Maybe?
The potential for a high-end connection in HDMI 2.1, combined with some significantly improved internal ones, opens the door for a state-of-the-art, state-of-the-art Apple TV to take on a lot of tasks far beyond Netflix or HBO Max. We’ve seen the company sink into the world of fitness and gaming with its subscription services, and a state-of-the-art Apple TV could be well positioned as a hub for both use cases.
Expanded gaming capabilities, in particular, could be useful as the Apple Arcade service continues to grow and mature. And previous rumors have certainly explored the potential of a new Apple TV as a game console. Meanwhile, third parties have their own game plans for Apple hardware as well. Despite some of them, Microsoft has been testing its xCloud gaming service on Apple hardware lately, and a living room device would make a good home for the service.
Beyond all this, we are entering several levels of speculation here, but there is also the potential for augmented reality or RA. We have already reported on the rumors about the AR support coming to the company’s streaming service, Apple TV +. And augmented reality is expected to be one of the main themes at Tuesday’s event.
If Apple really intends to unveil an Apple TV built for the future, the addition of AR capabilities seems good in terms of plausibility. In any case, we’ll have to wait at least April 20 (and possibly more!) To see if any of these predictions have been met.
Philip Palermo