2024 Apple TV: All the Rumors So Far

[MacRumors]

Apple is working on a new version of the 4K Apple TV, and rumors suggest that it could launch as soon as 2024, two years after the launch of the current model. This guide includes details on everything that we expect to see in the 2024 Apple TV 4K.

Design

Apple has not notably changed the design of the Apple TV in several years, and that's not going to change in 2024. We are not expecting any updates to the form factor, and it will continue to use the same slimmed-down black plastic body from the current Apple TV model.

A New Chip

The current Apple TV 4K has the same A15 Bionic chip that was in the iPhone 13 lineup, and we're expecting a new A-series chip for the 2024 Apple TV. Apple doesn't design chips exclusively for the Apple TV, so it's likely that the next-generation model will use the same A16 chip from the iPhone 14 Pro models and the iPhone 15 models.

There is also the possibility that the Apple TV 4K will have the A17 Pro chip used in the iPhone 15 Pro models, as that would give the Apple TV the capability to play console-quality games, a rumor from years back. The A17 Pro is Apple's first 3-nanometer chip, and it includes a 6-core GPU that's able to support hardware-accelerated ray tracing for the first time, enabling games with more realistic graphics. Several console games like Resident Evil 4 and Death Stranding will be coming to the iPhone 15 Pro thanks to the A17 Pro chip.

At the same time, it is worth noting that the A17 Pro chip may ultimately be too expensive for Apple to include in an Apple TV, especially as there are rumors that Apple is aiming for a lower price point.

Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7

It could make sense for Apple to bring new, more modern Wi-Fi protocols to the next-generation Apple TV, but we haven't heard rumors about this. The current iPhone 15 Pro models support Wi-Fi 6E and rumors suggest Apple will adopt Wi-Fi 7 for the iPhone as soon as next year.

Current Apple TV 4K models support Wi-Fi 6, but upping that with at least Wi-Fi 6E would allow the Apple TV to take advantage of the faster 6GHz band for improved streaming and content download speeds.

Other Connectivity

Apple offers both a Wi-Fi only Apple TV 4K and a Wi-Fi + Ethernet model, and that could continue with the next-generation model. We could also see the next Apple TV adopt Bluetooth 5.3.

The Apple TV is expected to continue to offer Thread integration and support for Matter when used as a home hub for smart home products.

Pricing

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said last year that he expects the next Apple TV to be more affordable, and that a price under $100 would be the "sweet spot." Pricing on the current Apple TV 4K starts at $129 for 64GB storage and Wi-Fi only connectivity, so it is not hard to imagine that Apple could introduce a new model at a lower price point or, alternatively, keep the current model as a lower-cost option alongside a new model with updated capabilities.

Launch Date

Apple is said to be planning to release the next Apple TV in the first half of 2024, which would perhaps see it debut at a spring event somewhere around March or April. In the past, Apple has introduced Apple TV 4K models in September 2017, May 2021, and November 2022.

Future Apple TV Innovations

Apple is rumored to be working on some sort of product that would combine the Apple TV functionality, a smart speaker, and a FaceTime camera in one device, but it's been over a year since we last heard about it.

There are also rumors of an Apple smart home display that would serve as a central hub for controlling smart home products, and there is a possibility that it could have Apple TV functionality. This product could launch as soon as 2024, but it is distinct from the next-generation Apple TV 4K that is also in development.

Guide Feedback

Have questions about the next Apple TV 4K or want to offer feedback on this guide? Send us an email here.

Article Link: 2024 Apple TV: All the Rumors So Far

 

[BuffaloJim]

Apple really missed the boat on smart home devices. Our house is filled with Alexa devices - and eight iPhones.

 

[jlc1978]

Why not make an Apple TV with the A16 and an Apple TV Pro with the A17Pro chip for people who want the better gaming capabilities. That would follow the iPhone model in terms of features and price points.

 

[k1121j]

Slimmed down! How so?

 

[stocklen]

Strange thing is this.

The Apple TV is, for me, hands down the best streaming box on the market.

When the latest version launched a year back.... it was seen as ludicrously overpowered and more than capable of 4K streaming etc.

So, as much as I like to see devices upgraded...... what exactly can they do with the AppleTV? TV formats haven't changed so theres no need for a faster processor.
Who cares about the form factor. Its already a tiny black box - we need it smaller?

My point is... a 2024 Apple TV? really? why? Surely this is the one device they make that could reasonably be left for a few years without clamouring for what is essentially a meaningless upgrade.

 

[CWallace]

Introduce the "Apple TV Arcade" with the A17 Pro, 128 GB, Wi-Fi, Ethernet and Thread for $149 and position it as the "Apple Console".

Then they can reduce the price of the third generation 64GB Apple TV 4K to $99 (or less) and (continue to) position it as a video/audio/photo streaming device.

 

[Codeseven]

Currently I’m using DIRECTV and want it gone asap. Whether it be the new version of AppleTV or the new ROKU Ultra, whichever comes out first gets my money.

 

[Think|Different]

I hate when people say "What more could they add to the Apple TV?" Plenty! All this and a lot, lot more!

 

[MBAir2010]

seems to me these tv do not need the
the…
that port we used to reach the internets in the late 90s?
ummm
whats that thin yello or grey rope with plastic cat rg7 plug called again?

 

[coolfactor]

Currently I’m using DIRECTV and want it gone asap. Whether it be the new version of AppleTV or the new ROKU Ultra, whichever comes out first gets my money.

My internet provider sent me a free Apple TV if I agreed to a one-year term of just $10 a month for their own streaming service. Couldn't say no to that. Two for one.

 

[coolfactor]

I hate when people say "What more could they add to the Apple TV?" Plenty! All this and a lot, lot more!

So tell us? We're not mind readers. 🤔

 

[TheDauterive]

Are there any rumors about Apple rolling back tvOS to version 6 so the "watch now" screen isn't a wall of spam ads for Apple TV shows? (We already have an Apple TV tab for those!)

 

[Fuzzball84]

Apple TV is probably the best streaming box on the market… however… people just don't seem to want to pay what they are asking. Especially considering how cheap other offerings such as Amazons firestick are… that get the job done for most peoples expectations. I have an Apple TV and Isometimes wonder if i should have bought the firestick.

Im not sure what they can do besides reduce the price… and probably…

If they made the gaming side more of a real proposition… i think they would be on to a winner. The last two generations are more powerful than nintendo switch (i have one and its amazing).. so the limitation is not the hardware but the software offering side.

Take a look at iOS conversions such as the stellar Alien Isolation as an example… imagine that on Apple TV in a darkened room with Airpods Pro on…

Games like that and its a decent all round casual gaming/entertainment system.

 

[coolfactor]

Why not make an Apple TV with the A16 and an Apple TV Pro with the A17Pro chip for people who want the better gaming capabilities. That would follow the iPhone model in terms of features and price points.

Disagree. This whole "Pro" thing is getting out of hand and losing its meaning.

 

[coolfactor]

Apple TV is probably the best streaming box on the market… however… people just don't seem to want to pay what they are asking. Especially considering how cheap other offerings such as Amazons firestick are… that getthe job done for most peoples expectations.

Im not sure what they can do besides reduce the price…

If they made the gaming side more of a real proposition… i think they would be on to a winner. The last few generations are more powerful than nintendo switch.. so the limitation is not the hardware but the software offering side.

Take a look at iOS conversions such as the stellar Alien Isolation as an example… imagine that on Apple TV in a darkened room eith Airpods Pro on…

Games like that and its a decent all round casual gaming/entertainment system.

Apple's big push will be the Vision platform. That's where they are going to want game developers focused. The Apple TV will just be a "lite" experience compared to what the Vision Pro headset will offer. I don't see them pitting the Apple TV against the Vision Pro headset in terms of processing power.

 

[StudioMacs]

The smart home display rumor sounds like Gurman caught wind of StandBy mode on the iPhone without realizing what it was for.

 

[deathcab]

Strange thing is this.

The Apple TV is, for me, hands down the best streaming box on the market.

When the latest version launched a year back.... it was seen as ludicrously overpowered and more than capable of 4K streaming etc.

So, as much as I like to see devices upgraded...... what exactly can they do with the AppleTV? TV formats haven't changed so theres no need for a faster processor.
Who cares about the form factor. Its already a tiny black box - we need it smaller?

My point is... a 2024 Apple TV? really? why? Surely this is the one device they make that could reasonably be left for a few years without clamouring for what is essentially a meaningless upgrade.

I would agree with this. I'm still happily running a first gen 4K (2017) Apple TV and it runs like a breeze even though it's already somehow that old of a device.

I'm about to upgrade to the 128GB version of the current box, but really only doing that to burn a $100 credit I have with a retailer that is expiring soon & even then plan on moving the 2017 box to a guest room TV.

 

[Fuzzball84]

Why not make an Apple TV with the A16 and an Apple TV Pro with the A17Pro chip for people who want the better gaming capabilities. That would follow the iPhone model in terms of features and price points.

Splitting all of your offerings into Pro and non pro can only go so far… Apple used to mostly make one device, and make it really really well. And people would pay a premium for it… not massive massive premium, but a premium.

When you start slicing and dicing certain categories of devices into regular and pro… i think the focus on making thebest devicegets a little lost. Apple TV is not a category where a Pro tier is even remotely appropriate.

 

[AppleMythos]

So tell us? We're not mind readers. 🤔

wifi 6e. i am at 1473Mbps, and everything absolutely flies on that uncluttered 6e band. would be a nice upgrade for the one device i use to stream live tv and 4K/HDR content.

 

[rotax]

Needs to support a microphone connection for use with Apple Music karaoke. Some sound level vs music and echo etc would be good

Needs to support TV Speakers Output AND connected / selected AirPods output at the same time. Currently, great AirPods capabilities for people with hearing deficiencies watching Apple TV, but then no one else can hear once their AirPods are selected for output.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Other than perhaps wanting to phase out A15 production, my question would be why?

The AAA console gaming thing won't come from this unless Apple puts huge numbers of THIS new one in homes AND allocates Sony & Microsoft-like subsidy money and/or buys gaming studios & talent to make their own exclusives. Just building good hardware doesn't make AAA game creators come. AppleTV+-like budget allocations to fund content creation will do it though... as it does for the major players.

"Ray tracing" won't deliver games to take advantage of it without huge numbers of chips with ray tracing in AppleTV, iPhone, iPad and Mac. As is only the most premium of phones have it. Until there's a LOT of Apple units with it in place, developing anything to take advantage of it serves only relatively small numbers of the whole pot.

Faster wifi doesn't make watching 4K movies any faster- don't even need wifi 6 or 6e for that. It would be the same with faster ethernet. The movie plays at only a specific speed. Maybe intense game play could be helped with even faster (than 6e) wifi??? But if that's the driver, see above.

A15 is already able to push plenty of power for actual Apple tech games and 4K.

Old chip has the better chance at "lower price." Newer chips usually demand higher price... or at least the "same great price." So if this is about "better price", latest & greatest chips probably work against it.

The Frankenstein AppleTV + Speaker + FaceTime (+ sometimes router + waffle maker + hair dryer + ...) comes up in most next AppleTV threads... but a merger of AppleTV with speaker and FaceTime means it must be placed in one of two places: right above or right below the TV, else FaceTime doesn't work. And the speaker itself (the dumb part) should far outlast the AppleTV tech (the smart part) so that will be an iMac-like waste when the Silicon makes "the rest" obsolete before a speaker and camera should naturally reach end of life. If Apple wants to roll out products that could be Frankenstein, roll out 3 products:

1. a soundbar or center channel speaker +
2. a classic iSight-like camera to sit atop the TV and link to an AppleTV placed anywhere with Continuity Camera (maybe powered by a USB port on the TV or by socket for TVs with no such port) +
3. AppleTV "as is"

Smashing those together will only work for a small segment. Many people store their AppleTV AWAY from right above or right below their TV. Many have a soundbar or center channel speaker already. Etc.

What could a new AppleTV use that would deliver broad benefits for all?

• 8K to be among the first boxes to support 8K TVs already for sale for a few years now. Yes, I know about "the chart" and how "nobody can see..." and "seating distances" and "chicken (content) & egg (8K hardware)", etc... ALL of the same stuff that made a 4K AppleTV make no sense to "us" while Apple clung to 1080p... which was the same stuff that made a 1080p AppleTV make no sense while Apple clung to 720p... but all of those excuses evaporate as soon as Apple actually makes the jump. And yes, 8K-capable hardware doesn't force anyone with not-8K televisions to upgrade- they just keep enjoying whatever resolution they have. And no, 8K videos in the iTunes Store don't become the only download, so people with slow internet keep choosing the 4K or HD or SD options they choose now. (Basically: see all of the past threads about the next resolution jump, because it's all the same answers to the same obstacles we make up with the number changed from 4K to 8K).
• full DTS audio support to mitigate one of the few real advantages of Blu Ray over AppleTV. This would also require working DTS into the video file format for AppleTV too but that seems like the easier part.
• Any additional Ultra Blu Ray advantages are matched if not exceeded so there is truly no hardware advantage to Blu Ray
• a real USB-C port to which one could connect a wired camera to put on top of the TV for FaceTime, etc no matter where one stores their AppleTV AND/OR one could connect their own storage like first gen for "synching" vs. streaming everything or an m.2 slot inside so that one could add their own storage for synching. That ability to sync content was an outstanding feature of the first gen and a simple port could be a way to bring it back again for those who would rather store it at AppleTV vs. back at the Mac.
• Resurrect AUX audio out because huge numbers of Receivers with Zone 2 still need Analog audio connections for Zone 2. As is, the solution is to work through many HDMI Extractors to find one that will pass through 4K HDR but successfully split off analog audio for zone 2 AND also not negatively affect CEC. One "just works" AUX port makes all Zone 2 tech work without the hassle of finding the lucky HDMI extractor.

I could go on but tangible goodies like those seem much more desirable (to me anyway) in a new AppleTV than the same AppleTV with a slightly faster chip and/or the Frankenstein. I don't even have an 8K television yet myself but can appreciate hardware getting ahead of me vs. it doing as it has done in the past... which was being highest priced but among the last to make the hop on to the next resolution.

And naturally, an 8K-capable AppleTV would likely accompany an iPhone and iPad able to shoot 8K video (which we all know will be coming sooner than later) and better take advantage of the Mx chips for editing & rendering 8K.

 

[Fuzzball84]

Needs to support a microphone connection for use with Apple Music karaoke. Some sound level vs music and echo etc would be good

Needs to support TV Speakers Output AND connected / selected AirPods output at the same time. Currently, great AirPods capabilities for people with hearing deficiencies watching Apple TV, but then no one else can hear once their AirPods are selected for output.

They could easily impliment this in software and it would also be awesome on future versions if they allowed a USBC dock to cater for additional IO…

But I doubt we will be that lucky

 

[Contact_Feanor]

Apple is working on a new version of the 4K Apple TV, and rumors suggest that it could launch as soon as 2024, two years after the launch of the current model. This guide includes details on everything that we expect to see in the 2024 Apple TV 4K.

Design

Apple has not notably changed the design of the Apple TV in several years, and that's not going to change in 2024. We are not expecting any updates to the form factor, and it will continue to use the same slimmed-down black plastic body from the current Apple TV model.

A New Chip

The current Apple TV 4K has the same A15 Bionic chip that was in the iPhone 13 lineup, and we're expecting a new A-series chip for the 2024 Apple TV. Apple doesn't design chips exclusively for the Apple TV, so it's likely that the next-generation model will use the same A16 chip from the iPhone 14 Pro models and the iPhone 15 models.

There is also the possibility that the Apple TV 4K will have the A17 Pro chip used in the iPhone 15 Pro models, as that would give the Apple TV the capability to play console-quality games, a rumor from years back. The A17 Pro is Apple's first 3-nanometer chip, and it includes a 6-core GPU that's able to support hardware-accelerated ray tracing for the first time, enabling games with more realistic graphics. Several console games like Resident Evil 4 and Death Stranding will be coming to the iPhone 15 Pro thanks to the A17 Pro chip.

At the same time, it is worth noting that the A17 Pro chip may ultimately be too expensive for Apple to include in an Apple TV, especially as there are rumors that Apple is aiming for a lower price point.

Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7

It could make sense for Apple to bring new, more modern Wi-Fi protocols to the next-generation Apple TV, but we haven't heard rumors about this. The current iPhone 15 Pro models support Wi-Fi 6E and rumors suggest Apple will adopt Wi-Fi 7 for the iPhone as soon as next year.

Current Apple TV 4K models support Wi-Fi 6, but upping that with at least Wi-Fi 6E would allow the Apple TV to take advantage of the faster 6GHz band for improved streaming and content download speeds.

Other Connectivity

Apple offers both a Wi-Fi only Apple TV 4K and a Wi-Fi + Ethernet model, and that could continue with the next-generation model. We could also see the next Apple TV adopt Bluetooth 5.3.

The Apple TV is expected to continue to offer Thread integration and support for Matter when used as a home hub for smart home products.

Pricing

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said last year that he expects the next Apple TV to be more affordable, and that a price under $100 would be the "sweet spot." Pricing on the current Apple TV 4K starts at $129 for 64GB storage and Wi-Fi only connectivity, so it is not hard to imagine that Apple could introduce a new model at a lower price point or, alternatively, keep the current model as a lower-cost option alongside a new model with updated capabilities.

Launch Date

Apple is said to be planning to release the next Apple TV in the first half of 2024, which would perhaps see it debut at a spring event somewhere around March or April. In the past, Apple has introduced Apple TV 4K models in September 2017, May 2021, and November 2022.

Future Apple TV Innovations

Apple is rumored to be working on some sort of product that would combine the Apple TV functionality, a smart speaker, and a FaceTime camera in one device, but it's been over a year since we last heard about it.

There are also rumors of an Apple smart home display that would serve as a central hub for controlling smart home products, and there is a possibility that it could have Apple TV functionality. This product could launch as soon as 2024, but it is distinct from the next-generation Apple TV 4K that is also in development.

Guide Feedback

Have questions about the next Apple TV 4K or want to offer feedback on this guide? Send us an email here.

Article Link: 2024 Apple TV: All the Rumors So Far

Would a plastic body still fit in with their zero carbon story from last month?

 

[robbietop]

What if we combined the Apple TV with the HomePod and paired it with two HomePod Minis like a Sonos system and sell it for $899????? Add AirPods Max for free with the premium tier with built in surround sound and four HomePod Minis for $1199! It sells itself....

I will buy three of those....one for my bed, my den, and my smoker's cove. Still have $1000 left over making it cheaper than the Scuba Gear Pro Max Plus HDR + and more useful

 

[Baron Thompson]

Love this product. I want a built in soundbar, A17 Pro, throw in a controller why not. Make it a console style upgrade. Give devs an easy way to port games. Id much rather play games on my Sony 65" TV than a iPhone screen. The app store right now is pitiful.