I test streaming devices for a living and I can't wait to see a new Apple TV 4K — here's why
It's been three long years since Apple launched a new set-top box. Although ripe with features and tons of value — in spite of its hefty $129 starting price — the Apple TV 4K still proves that it's one of the best streaming devices.
There's still room for improvement, however, especially now that Apple has better processors on the latest iOS and iPadOS devices.
With rumors still circulating on a new Apple TV 4K expected in 2025, it's time for this streaming box to get all the love it needs to meet a wide range of standards. Here's all the features and specs an updated Apple TV device needs for greatness.
There's one thing I've come to realize that's crucial with these types of products: ultra portability.
I've been testing tons of different streaming devices over the past few years, and there's one thing I've come to realize that's crucial with these types of products: ultra portability.
While you will, for the most part, be using it at home to bypass a TV's existing interface, it's pretty useful having an on-the-go streaming device with all of the best streaming services signed into your accounts. This means at Airbnbs and hotels, you don't have to worry about singing in and out of the apps you want to use on the TV in your room.
For a great example of a powerful, portable streaming device, look no further than the new Roku Streaming Stick Plus, which launched last month. It's the slimmest of its kind and still offers heightened performance despite its smaller size. Apple knows design better than most and while I do like the boxy look of the existing Apple TV 4K, it definitely could use a slimmer profile.
The best approach, I think, is to have multiple different kinds of Apple TV devices to fit various needs. Amazon's Fire TV does this very well with a Fire TV Cube and Fire TV Stick that are both vastly different in performance and sizes.
Not everyone might agree with this take. But the days of needing a streaming set-top box that looks like a mini PC are long gone. Some people just want convenience and using your iPad or even a MacBook Air to watch content on-the-go isn't always ideal.
Both Samsung and LG offer Xbox Game Pass on their individual interfaces; it's time for Apple to follow suit.
One of the biggest missing pieces on Apple's streaming box is a broader range of gaming support. Apple Arcade does exist on the platform, but it pales in comparison to the wider net cast by some of the best cloud gaming services. Both Samsung and LG offer Xbox Game Pass on their individual interfaces; it's time for Apple to follow suit.
The biggest obstacles here are the older processors and wireless components. This not only includes the device's main CPU, but also the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips to boot. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple has a new Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip in the works that "is tightly integrated with its other components."
This could give the new Apple TV a huge leg up against its competition, especially if it also manages to leverage one of the newer bionic chips like the A17 Pro or A18. These would not only allow the new device broader gaming capabilities, like playing Death Stranding: Director's Cut right on your Apple TV, but also enhance AI features as well.
It also lends credence to the rumors of an Apple tvOS makeover requiring a much stronger chipset. It's about time Apple stepped into the gaming sphere a bit more, and a refreshed streaming device could be its big ticket to get there.
Although feature-rich and premium-priced, the Apple TV 4K isn't without several missing pieces. It manages to wrangle Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support, but still misses the boat on key passthrough settings. It's a major point of contention for the device, and a refresh definitely needs additional codecs and passthrough options to improve the overall soundscape of the device.
Problematically, Apple TV 4K is also without multichannel support via HDMI and, surprisingly, lacks the ability to play 24-bit Hi-res music. It's pretty remarkable, especially given that some tracks on Apple Music even support it, meaning you can't even get the most out of the platform you're paying for on one of its most premium hardware products.
Another blunder is hands-free voice controls. That sounds absurd in the year 2025, but the Apple TV 4K doesn't support any, and that's rough in the face of cheaper options like the Roku Ultra, Google TV Streamer, and Fire TV Stick HD all having their own well-rounded voice assistants.
Apple needs to step its game up when it comes to wider smart home integration.
Finally, Apple needs to step its game up when it comes to wider smart home integration. Streaming sticks are fast becoming the hubs for our smarter products, allowing us to control the ecosystem of devices scattered across the home network. While the Apple TV 4K does have a Thread board router for Matter support, it doesn't have functional AI to assist with more complicated automations and voiced controls like you get on Google.
Thus, Apple Intelligence is a key feature needed on a newer device. This could bring voice controls and wider home networking capabilities into the mix in one fell swoop.
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