As hard to believe as it is, it's been two years since the Apple TV 4K was released, the streaming box that Apple promised us to stream in 4K HDR. That was certainly done, but now, with new emerging technologies like Apple Arcade on the horizon, it seems like the time has come for a new Apple TV in 2019.
Of course, nothing is certain. From the start, the Apple TV route has been a rocky one: Steve Jobs has described it as a "hobby" project, and the idea of a set-top box has been put on hold at Apple for many years, the same annual release cycle as that used by company phones and tablets.
- (Update: Is a new Apple TV going to be announced? Rumors are swirling about a new 4K Apple TV with upgraded hardware that would serve as a microconsole for Apple's new Apple Arcade and Apple TV Plus services Apple is holding its Annual Phone Conference at 10 00:10 AM Pacific Time on September 5 at 00:1 PM Paris Time and 00:XNUMX PM London Time (US) Check out our Live Apple Event blog to see what has been announced and what we are doing!)
That said, the 4K-capable Apple TV that arrived in 2017 finally saw the streamer deliver on its promises: high-res playback, fun gaming options, and truly effective voice control.
So what will monitoring look like? This is what we could see on the Apple TV 2019, which would be the sixth generation of the box.
Cut to the hunt
- What is it? A new version of Apple's set-top box.
- When did he come out? We were waiting for an announcement in September 2019
- How much will it cost? I wait for the price of previous models
Apple TV 6 (2019) release date
As always with unlisted Apple products aside from the annual iPhone launch, it's hard to tell when, if ever, a new product will hit stores. But we can make educated guesses based on the release dates of previous models.
The 4K-capable fourth-generation Apple TV model was introduced on September 12, 2017, almost two years to the day of the fourth-generation Apple TV announcement.
From this point of view, a September 2019 reveal is very likely, which leaves time for TV technology to progress enough for Apple to have something new to discuss. An Apple TV in 2018 might not be worth it, though we have our eyes on the launch of the new iPhone today, should they get an announcement sooner.
Of course, we now know that WWDC 2018 has come and gone with no mention of a new Apple TV. It may be next year.
Apple TV 6 price (2019)
Of course, without a confirmed datasheet, it's hard to speculate on costs. However, Apple knows that messing with the formula too much could hurt sales.
It should be noted that since set-top boxes have disappeared, Apple's prices have always been higher.
For contextual reasons, the current-generation Apple TV costs $179 / £179 / AU$249 for the 32GB version, while the 64GB option costs $199 / £199 / AU279. We think Apple TV 2018 (or 2019) would be more or less that.
Apple TV 6 (2019): what we want to see
The Apple TV lineup has progressed well over the past two generations, but there's still room for improvement if a sixth-generation Apple TV were to hit stores.
Apple's approach to content and voice control remains frustrating, and it's in these areas that we're primarily looking to make progress with a new Apple TV, with the underlying hardware reasonably solid at this point. .
An open approach to third-party apps and videos
The walls of Apple's enclosed garden have slowly eroded over the years, but it's still quite difficult to make it accessible to its TV-based app store. This is especially clear when you compare the Apple TV to something like Android TV-based set-top boxes, where a wide range of apps are available (including more controversial options like Kodi).
It would be great to see Apple take such an open approach to its TV viewing options in the future. Tastes vary from globe to globe, and a wider variety of streaming and programming options (as well as ways to read your own media) would be difficult to integrate into Apple TV 2018.
More game options
The last two generations of Apple TV have seen the company dive deeper into the world of video games, something that, aside from the iOS app store, it was reluctant to do before in a private space.
But with the release of 5th gen and partnering with Thatgamecompany for their Sky game, it started to feel like he was taking home gaming seriously.
However, outside of the Sky launch, gaming on Apple TV has yet to be particularly hyped. Its clearest rival in this regard is the Nvidia Shield, which takes gaming very seriously with purpose-built console conversions for its hardware and cloud game streaming service.
It would be nice to see Apple recruit more high-quality developers, which shouldn't be as difficult as it sounds given the relationship it already has with mobile developers.
Deeper voice control with Siri
Controlling your TV with voice commands is still a joy, but Apple's Siri lags behind the capabilities of Google Assistant and Amazon's Alexa.
The television space would be an excellent area to invest in, given the relatively narrow contextual window in which it must operate.
We'd like to see Siri integration really dovetailed into Apple's 2018 sixth-gen — perhaps scheduling a schedule notification for your favorite show's release date, for example.
Better HomePod sync
Apple's smart speaker can be frustrating thanks to Siri's sometimes weak recognition capabilities, but the sound quality is undeniable.
It's easily the best smart speaker on the market, even if it's one of the most expensive.
Now that HomePod speakers support stereo pairing and multiple rooms, would it be possible to automatically set HomePod to a surround sound setup if there are multiple speakers and the TV box?
It would be great to be surrounded by an epic Hollywood soundtrack through these speakers.
The best exclusive content
Apple has been investing in exclusive content for a few years now, and while Carpool Karaoke still has a relatively loyal audience, there hasn't been a lot of fanfare surrounding its Planet of the Apps Show reality show.
Compare that to what Amazon produces for its Prime service and Fire TV devices, and that seems odd.
If Apple wants to compete with Jeff Bezos' service and Netflix, Apple must attract big names in television and film. Perhaps this could be integrated and subsidized with the long-rumored Apple TV subscription service, which the company has reportedly been trying to figure out for years.