Apple hasn’t refreshed the Apple TV 4K (2022) in a couple of years, and rumors point to a new streaming device launching in 2025. Streaming devices don’t tend to be on an annual upgrade cycle, so the current Apple TV is certainly primed for an upgrade.
The rumors swirling around the next Apple TV box have been strange compared to other Apple products like the iPhone 17 or the Apple Watch 11.
Apple is rumored to launch an OLED TV, a big shift from Apple after it abandoned the concept several years ago.
The simplest version of an upgraded Apple TV is a lightly redesigned box. The pre-WWDC rumor claimed that the streamer would be thinner, but the design wouldn’t change much beyond that.
Code discovered in Apple’s back end potentially revealed two Apple TV models, but not much more detail. Presumably, the difference between the two models would be storage capacity.
That said, a combination of Apple TV and HomePod with FaceTime and a video-conferencing camera included has been rumored since at least 2021. Mark Gurman referenced this idea in April of 2024, saying that Apple is considering adding a built-in camera to a future Apple TV box. In 2023, tvOS 17 added a FaceTime app to the streamer, which enabled you to make video calls using the rear camera on a connected iPhone.
The more significant changes will be internal. The CPU may be faster, as discovered Apple code suggests it will feature the same A18 chipset that powers the iPhone 16 series.
Apple is working hard to separate its production from other companies, and the company is planning to introduce its own modem in the iPhone SE 4 next year.
