New Apple TV This Year Likely to Support Wi-Fi 7

[Cloudyskies22]

I don't want to use my phone to control my tv or streaming services.

That said, a stick would be fine...if it has a physical remote and didn't need a phone or tablet to operate. Roku has been doing it for years.

Of course it would have a remote. The point is that there wouldn’t be an iOS remote anymore, it would be the entire interface on the iOS device so that you could actually manipulate it with a touchscreen.

Touchscreen remote’s are useless unless it was simply the entire interface so that you can manipulate it without looking at the TV.

The dongle would come with a physical remote. A remote akin to the fire TV and NOT the piece of garbage Apple ones. It would be much thicker and ergonomic.

The power of the device can utilize the iPad Mac, or iPhones computation which means this Apple TV device doesn’t need updated for more power because you already update your other devices so it can utilize their computation via WiFi direct using WiFi 7.

 

[Mity]

If only the Macs released in 2024 and 2025 had WiFi-7. I can't justify upgrading from my M1 Air to an M4 air without it.

 

[0049190]

IMHO, Apple does not really need to release a new iPhone every single year... but I guess the habit is harder to kick than cigarettes or pot.(while I have never smoked either one, I 've seen how additive it is.... my uncle smoked 2 packs per day!!! expensive and nasty... and while I was sitting next to him as a 10 year old boy back in the day)

I agree they don’t need a new iPhone every year. It loses something when they change it every year. I thought the previous “s” strategy with new designs every 2 years and spec bumps in between was a better strategy.

 

[lotones]

So now maybe hi-res audio on Apple TV?

And why not throw in Visualizer for the ATV Music app?

 

[WarmWinterHat]

If only the Macs released in 2024 and 2025 had WiFi-7. I can't justify upgrading from my M1 Air to an M4 air without it.

I can't justify upgrading to WiFi 7.

Apple should be putting newest standards in their offerings, though.

 

[x-evil-x]

Let me correct another Apple failure…the Apple TV.

I’d discontinue the large Apple TV entirely. I’d make a very small HDMI stick and it has a power adapter and 1 Ethernet port, WiFi 7 and most-importantly WiFi direct utilizing WiFi 7.

This device would plug into any HDMI port on the back of the TV via a short HDMI cable that runs out of it (so it doesn’t interfere with other HDMI cables where TVs have all of them right next to each other). It would be similar to Fire TV and Google Chrome devices.

It would be $50 and have only very minimal storage space. The most important aspect of the device is that it has WiFi direct and can communicate directly with your iPhone, iPad, Mac, android, or Samsung devices. It can mirror the interface directly to your device’s screen and there is virtually 0 latency thanks to WiFi direct skipping any router and using extreme speed.

All apps can be stored on the external device such that the only things the device itself stores are a select set of big streaming apps. You can play any games on it because with WiFi direct the latency between your iPad, iPhone, Mac, etc is extremely low and it can send massive bandwidth to the device thanks to WiFi 7 direct.

This new paradigm is called AirPlay Max and finally makes your devices communicate as they should—nearly instantly with near-zero latency and extreme bandwidth. ALL streaming ALL internet usage can come entirely from your external device if you want it to.

For example, let’s say I’m at a hotel and I don’t have WiFi or don’t want to use the hotel WiFi. Let’s say I have a good cellular connection and have uncapped cellular data service. With WiFi direct I can stream to my iPhone and play the content directly on the TV via the dongle and it plays perfectly in high quality.

Let me also mention that iPhone apps are required to now play in true 4K HDR if it is available rather than playing at a lower resolution due to being streamed to the iPhone. For example most streaming apps do not send 4K bitrate to your iPhone when you’re watching a movie, they limit it to 1080P HD despite the fact that 4K has far better picture quality even on a phone screen due to far less compression. No more. When streaming to your phone you have no worries, you’ll be getting full 4K HDR unless you select not to in the app. Then you can mirror that via AirPlay Max and get extremely high quality straight to the TV via the dongle. You’ll need to plug your device in to keep battery from being used up but we all do that anyway and that’s of no concern.

So you need an iPhone to make it work? Yea there’s a reason why this wont work as an actual thing. I’ll keep my larger box thx.
99-150 every 5 years to update them is nothing.
The Firesticks are garbage in comparison

 

[Cloudyskies22]

So you need an iPhone to make it work? Yea there’s a reason why this wont work as an actual thing. I’ll keep my larger box thx.
99-150 every 5 years to update them is nothing.
The Firesticks are garbage in comparison

No you don’t. Works without any external device. Does what a streaming device is useful for: streaming apps.

With external device: astronomically better than they ever have been or ever will be without this.

As of now these big boxes are embarrassing beyond belief. Absolutely worthless waste of money. They should be $30-$50 at absolute maximum.

 

[HenryAH]

AirPlay supports lossless audio. Apple Music itself does not, but lossless is available on the Apple Music tvOS app via an HDMI connection.

So, I have my Apple TV 4k (3rd generation) connected by HDMI connection to my Onkyo TX-SR313 receiver and that is connected to a modest 5.1 theater speaker system, are you telling me that when playing music through Apple Music tvOS I am receving lossless audio on my speaker system?

 

[JohnC1959]

I wish they would at least allow an add-on USB webcam. I know I can use my phone in continuity mode but a dedicated camera on the Apple TV would be nice. I'd still would like to then be able to "transfer" a call from my phone to the Apple TV when I want. No special hardware needed from Apple -- all software.

 

[Allin44]

Apple TV is my most used Apple device after my iPhone. Love it.

 

[God of Biscuits]

I think this article is made when MacRumors has no idea about a new article.

imagine calling "Apple didn't use the latest iPhone processor" "chose to artificially limit specifications".

 

[N0ughtsAndCr0sses]

Just release the damn thing already!!

I want one!

 

[nathansz]

If Apple TV comes with optical output I will consider Apple Music. Lossless and high-resolution audio via Airplay is not possible.

my tv has audio pass through, so it goes from hdmi in to optical out to my amp without any processing

works great, sounds awesome

 

[foggygray]

imagine calling "Apple didn't use the latest iPhone processor" "chose to artificially limit specifications".

I can’t believe they artificially limited it by not putting a 10Gb SFP port on it.

 

[cmcnick]

I wasn't aware that the current Apple TV suffered from a slow and unreliable Wi-Fi connection and had poor latency problems

My AppleTV 4K always has WiFi issues with Xfinity internet routers. Probably the two companies in a pissing contest.

 

[xyz01]

Cool, with WiFi 7, I can watch a 12-minute YouTube cat video in only 5 minutes.

Seriously, I think a TV box is the only case where no one will notice the faster WiFi.

Same for a phone, which actually has WiFi 7.

What really should have had WiFi 7 is the Mac Studio, Mac mini (at least the pro), Macbook Air, and Macbook Pro. None of them have it.

 

[Dr McKay]

I loved owning all of my Apple TVs, but what else could a newer model possibly do that's worth the purchase? Built-in camera? LED back-lit remote? Definitely not AI.

If you’re happy with yours and don’t do stuff like game on it then you’re probably not the target audience for it. This’ll be for people who have older ones on their last legs or those who want a bit more power for games. Although I suppose they could make it so Apple TV can be the central hub of a SmartHome and limit that to the latest gen.

I can’t see any meaningful upgrades to a product line like this until 8K TVs start becoming affordable. Frankly the only feature I wish my model had I can’t ever imagine Apple implementing, making the usb port in it do more than just diagnostics. I wish I could plug my external storage drive into it and view the content instead of plugging it into the TV and taking a gamble whether it’ll play certain file formats, I’d probably also plug a webcam into it because my Wife FaceTimes her Mum back home a lot.

 

[LarryJoe33]

Man, I can't believe they are still developing these things. All new TV's come with the ATV+ app built in and everything else that's on one of these. No need to change inputs.

I stopped at V4 when they totally screwed up the remote with that stupid touchpad. I can't remember the last time I fired it up.

 

[munpip214]

My AppleTV 4K always has WiFi issues with Xfinity internet routers. Probably the two companies in a pissing contest.

Internet provider routers are known to have issues with so many devices, not just Apple TV

 

[munpip214]

Apple will most likely use at least a 1-year+ processor in a new apple tv. I don't think they have ever put the latest in there. My guess is they will still opt for one with at least some Apple Intelligence capabilities, maybe A17 pro like iphone 15 pro.

 

[cocky jeremy]

Cool, with WiFi 7, I can watch a 12-minute YouTube cat video in only 5 minutes.

Seriously, I think a TV box is the only case where no one will notice the faster WiFi.

I think the only way you'd see a difference is if it came with lower pings and less jitter.

 

[nathansz]

Man, I can't believe they are still developing these things. All new TV's come with the ATV+ app built in and everything else that's on one of these. No need to change inputs.

I stopped at V4 when they totally screwed up the remote with that stupid touchpad. I can't remember the last time I fired it up.

some people prefer not to connect their tv's to the internet because they are such advertising and surveillance nightmares and only use Apple TV box for everything. also no need to change inputs

also no lossless Apple Music on most tv's I don't think?

 

[alau0115]

As long as it still has Ethernet

wifi 6e or wifi 7 are a welcome improvement. If you have ISP with faster speed, a proper wifi 7 or 6e router,/wifi mesh and a good reception where your Apple TV sits, it is faster than the ethernet port on Apple TV which I believe it is at most 1000M aka 1G port.

 

[krakenrelease]

If Apple TV comes with optical output I will consider Apple Music. Lossless and high-resolution audio via Airplay is not possible.

Coax is more reliable

 

[TigerNike23]

I wasn't aware that the current Apple TV suffered from a slow and unreliable Wi-Fi connection and had poor latency problems

I have 4 ATVs (one HD, two 4K 1st gen, one 4K 3rd gen) and I’ve never had Wi-Fi issues in the three places I’ve lived since getting the HD model in 2015.