It seems that rumors of a new generation of Apple TV to be released any day now have been around for several years. The last generation was released in 2022. This time the rumors are more substantial, with pundits saying March/April for sure.
The key features expected are:
A17 Pro processor
Apple Intelligence has a big role
Wi-fi 7
Camera for video communication and to support gestures possible
A gaming platform equal to or better than current consoles
Intent to act as center for home automation
A LLM-powered Siri that doesn't suck
N1 chip for wi-fi, Bluetooth, and Thread
I've not seen it specifically mentioned, but I hope that tvOS 26.4 finally has Thread version 1.4 fully enabled to support a unified Thread mesh.
That definitely sums it up! I keep getting excited about a new one when I see these rumours but doubt it will amount to much that makes a real difference to me.
This is the item that makes no sense. No way Apple is trying to compete with Microsoft and Sony on the modern console wars. The cost would be outrageous for a streaming media player.
I hope so... I have 2. One last gen 4K for downstairs which I love and is awesome.
Another much much older gen that is 1080p only, and i really want to upgrade it to a 4k one, but have been holding off..
I have pretty much every generation of Apple TV and really like the platform. I also have some Roku devices and it's so nice as well. But, I appreciate the fact that Apple TV has very few ads/promos where Roku has become a billboard on your TV for random ads. A new ATV would be great. My wishlist:
-Screaming fast hardware. They always saddle these things with old CPUs
-A better thought out remote. Why not transport buttons (FF/REW). I know Jony wanted the remote to be sexy and minimal, and I don't want it to turn into a 8 device multi remote or anything but sheesh - would it kill you to have dedicated FF and REW buttons?? And, Jony Ive is long gone and some of his design sensibilities are stupid. He was to "thinner" what "cowbell" is to Christopher Walken in that famous SNL sketch.
That is all. Hurry up Apple so you can get some more of my money.
Love my Apple TVs and I have the same complaint about the remote. It needs to be bigger since you’re always chasing it down. You basically have to put a case on it or it’ll disappear every day.
One thing I really like is the integration with HomeKit. You can create scenes in HomeKit, tie them to Hubitat switches, and control the house right from the remote. I moved from Logitech Harmony and found this an acceptable replacement.
CEC also works great for turning the TV and the Bose speaker system on and off.
You can use an iPhone to find it (with the Apple TV 4K model at least). It's not as helpful as Find My location, but it will tell you whether you are getting warmer or colder as you search for it.
I used to be a Roku fan but I think they lost their way when it comes to user interface, and also succumbed to putting up ads. I've got an Amazon Fire Stick too but it has become unusable due to all the ads.
Yep, that's me also. Especially if it will allow me to have a unified Thread mesh with both Apple TV and eero devices.
But back to the original topic: I’m always chasing the next version. I’ll buy two new ones, replace what I have, move the older units to the guest room (which barely gets used), and then my mom gets the hand-me-down. Yep, I’m proudly throwing money at Apple like a fanboy.
Home Assistant does have a pretty solid Apple TV integration, so I use that for some basic IoT stuff. I just wish Apple’s API was open, or at least more open.
