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What's Next for Apple TV: A14 Chip, 4GB RAM, New Siri Remote, and More Rumors

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Over a year has passed since the second-generation Apple TV 4K launched in May 2021, and rumors have started to surface about new features planned for the next model and beyond, including a faster chip, increased RAM, a new Siri Remote, and more.

apple-tv-4k-arcade-feature.jpg

We've recapped all of the Apple TV rumors that have been shared below, as well as features coming in the tvOS 16 software update later this year.

A14 Chip and 4GB of RAM

A new Apple TV codenamed "J255" is in development with an A14 chip and 4GB of RAM, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. These upgrades would result in improved performance, which could be beneficial for gaming on the device.

The current Apple TV 4K has an A12 chip and 3GB of RAM.

Lower Price

Apple plans to launch a lower-priced Apple TV in the second half of 2022, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. It's unclear if this Apple TV would have the A14 chip and 4GB of RAM that Gurman reported, or if it would be an entirely different model.

The current Apple TV 4K starts at $179 with 32GB of storage, while the Apple TV HD remains available for $149. By comparison, there are many streaming sticks from brands like Chromecast and Roku available for under $50 to $100.

Both the second-generation (2010) and third-generation (2012) models of the Apple TV were priced at $99 at launch, and Apple eventually lowered the price of the third-generation model to $69, so there is precedent for a lower-priced Apple TV.

New Siri Remote

In the iOS 16 beta, there are code-level references to what appears to be a new and unreleased version of the Siri Remote for the Apple TV.

As spotted by @aaronp613, there are strings for "SiriRemote4" and "WirelessRemoteFirmware.4" that do not correspond with any existing Siri Remote.

siri-remote-1.jpg

Aaron said the original Siri Remote is identified as "SiriRemote," while a revised version of that remote with a white circle around the "Menu" button is "SiriRemote2," and the silver Siri Remote released last year is "SiriRemote3." This leads to the possibility that "SiriRemote4" is an upcoming remote for a new or existing Apple TV.

No additional details about "SiriRemote4" are mentioned in the code, so nothing is known about the remote's potential design or features at this time. The code findings also do not guarantee that Apple will move forward with releasing a new remote.

HomePod Combo

Gurman believes that Apple will eventually release a device that combines an Apple TV, HomePod, and FaceTime camera, but details remain slim. Gurman said the combined device "will probably be at the center of Apple's approach" in the home.

tvOS 16 Features

tvOS 16 will be released for the Apple TV HD and newer later this year. The update is currently in beta for developers, with a public beta to follow in July.

An overview of new tvOS 16 features for the Apple TV:
  • Cross-device connectivity: Apple says tvOS 16 enables developers to integrate their Apple TV app with their iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch apps to unlock new experiences that "feel more personal than ever." For example, developers can deliver more personalized workouts on the Apple TV based on motion sensor data from the Apple Watch, display real-time information on the iPhone while a video plays in their Apple TV app, or include more screens for gameplay.
  • Expanded game controller support: Apple says many additional Bluetooth game controllers are supported on tvOS 16. Notably, this includes support for Nintendo's Joy-Cons and Pro Controller.
  • Multiuser improvements: tvOS 16 offers improved system integration for user profiles in Apple TV apps. Apple says with credentials stored in a shared keychain, users won't need to sign in and choose their profile every time they launch an Apple TV app that has been updated with this functionality.
  • Matter support: Matter is a new standard that will enable compatible smart home accessories to work together seamlessly across multiple platforms, including Apple's HomeKit, Amazon's Alexa, and more. A home hub is needed to control Matter accessories in the Home app, which can be an Apple TV updated to tvOS 16 or a HomePod/HomePod mini updated to the latest software version.

Article Link: What's Next for Apple TV: A14 Chip, 4GB RAM, New Siri Remote, and More Rumors
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2022/06/28/apple-tv-rumored-features/
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Can’t wait to get the new Apple TV for my living room!

Hopefully Apple includes the ‘Find My’ feature in the new Siri remote to make it easy to find if it falls under the couch

MacRumors had an article yesterday that said that Apple is planning to release a new HomePod next year so a new Apple TV would be great to use alongside new HomePods for the stereo pair!
 
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you are all talking as if the current model.... only out a year (which in apple terms for Apple TV is practically brand new!) is somehow rubbish.

It isnt. Its great.... I wonder why we need a new version so soon - even the older 4K model released a few years earlier seemed unnecessary to replace last year - but again already?

The AppleTV is the best, and fastest streaming box out there - I struggle to see the pressing need for its replacement just yet.
 
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stocklen said:
you are all talking as if the current model.... only out a year (which in apple terms for Apple TV is practically brand new!) is somehow rubbish.

It isnt. Its great.... I wonder why we need a new version so soon - even the older 4K model released a few years earlier seemed unnecessary to replace last year - but again already?

The AppleTV is the best, and fastest streaming box out there - I struggle to see the pressing need for its replacement just yet.
Click to expand...
Yeah I thought the same.

Possibly irrelevant, but the one time I wanted to play an Apple Arcade game (Goat Simulator, which has been out on iOS for 7 years) on my TV, it’s not supported on Apple TV at all. Wonder if the current ATV is underpowered to an extent which limits Arcade offerings.

Seems silly since I’ve typed it out — I can’t imagine ATV would struggle to run a 7 year old iOS game.

As far as I’m concerned, the ATV has been overkill on power since the last generation.
 
Having just replaced mine after getting chai spillled on it and the buttons get all stuck, I hope it’s something relatively minor like putting a U1 chip in it like it should have had in the first place.

Edit: Maybe also usb-c for charging?
 
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mrat93 said:
Yeah I thought the same.

Possibly irrelevant, but the one time I wanted to play an Apple Arcade game (Goat Simulator, which has been out on iOS for 7 years) on my TV, it’s not supported on Apple TV at all. Wonder if the current ATV is underpowered to an extent which limits Arcade offerings.

Seems silly since I’ve typed it out — I can’t imagine ATV would struggle to run a 7 year old iOS game.

As far as I’m concerned, the ATV has been overkill on power since the last generation.
Click to expand...
Yeah, unless they’re putting in something like an M2 Pro or Max and way more storage, it’s never going to be a serious enough game platform, aside from maybe cloud streaming if they ever allowed it. They should probably split it into a cheaper video only model and a console-like game/app model, but that probably would just narrow the limited market share of Apple TV even further.

As much noise as they made about game support at WWDC, that’s almost certainly in preparation for the VR headset. It’s no coincidence that both the games they showed off have VR modes either available or coming soon.
 
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stocklen said:
The AppleTV is the best, and fastest streaming box out there - I struggle to see the pressing need for its replacement just yet.
Click to expand...
I also thought it was the fastest, but I don't know anymore about its speed.
The latest TV lags so much here on the latest iOS.
I'm getting sometimes 1-2 whole second latencies between pressing a button and actually seeing the result on screen.
 
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mrat93 said:
Yeah I thought the same.

Possibly irrelevant, but the one time I wanted to play an Apple Arcade game (Goat Simulator, which has been out on iOS for 7 years) on my TV, it’s not supported on Apple TV at all. Wonder if the current ATV is underpowered to an extent which limits Arcade offerings.

Seems silly since I’ve typed it out — I can’t imagine ATV would struggle to run a 7 year old iOS game.

As far as I’m concerned, the ATV has been overkill on power since the last generation.
Click to expand...
As far as I can see, Goat Simulator isn’t an Apple Arcade game on any platform, not just Apple TV.
 
Apple rarely introduces a new version of a product that is significantly lower priced than the original. They did introduce the HomePod mini at 1/3 the cost, but it is less than 1/3 the quality of the HomePod since it is such a small speaker. If Apple does release a less expensive ATV, I suspect it will be a stripped down version of the current ATV 4K. But I'm very skeptical any of this will happen. Perhaps another incremental, overpriced update with more bugs, but I'm not optimistic about a cheaper model that is worth the price it sells for. The remote will likely be another limited function POS like the last one. Screw form of function, give us some control buttons!
 
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PsykX said:
I also thought it was the fastest, but I don't know anymore about its speed.
The latest TV lags so much here on the latest iOS.
I'm getting sometimes 1-2 whole second latencies between pressing a button and actually seeing the result on screen.
Click to expand...
This. It’s usually most prominent in YouTube, but present often almost everywhere. My first generation Apple TV 4K didn’t have this problem using the same software. Apple TV OS 15.
 
GregoriusM said:
As far as I can see, Goat Simulator isn’t an Apple Arcade game on any platform, not just Apple TV.
Click to expand...
They just released a version on Apple Arcade last month.

apps.apple.com

‎Goat Simulator+

‎Goat Simulator+ is the latest in goat simulation technology, bringing next-gen goat simulation to YOU. You no longer have to fantasize about being a goat, your mobile dreams have finally come true! Gameplay-wise, Goat Simulator+ is all about causing as much destruction as you possibly can as a...
apps.apple.com apps.apple.com
 
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Havent bought an ATV since ATV4 1080 and got the 2021 model a few months ago... the equivalent of washing your car during a long period of drought and it raining same day haha

It's ok though, not sure I honestly care since I don't game on ATV.
 
PsykX said:
I also thought it was the fastest, but I don't know anymore about its speed.
The latest TV lags so much here on the latest iOS.
I'm getting sometimes 1-2 whole second latencies between pressing a button and actually seeing the result on screen.
Click to expand...
Say what? You sure your unit isn’t defective? Unless you’re talking about gaming on your atv which I don’t do so I can’t speak to.

In my experience some of the apps are just bad. For instance Bravo sometimes just loads a white screen forcing me to close it and reopen in order to get it to work. Similarly ESPN sometimes won’t update its Home Screen forcing me to quit it and reopen to see the updated episodes/livestreams
 
inlvnv said:
will Apple ever include Safari?
Click to expand...
I too want a browser. Not to surf but to take it on vacation with me. Can’t authenticate the MAC address on travel unless you jump through hoops spoofing the MAC address or you call the hotels it group and get the Apple TV‘s MAC address white listed. It’s a pain in the butt
 
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