The Apple TV 4K streaming box has not been revised since 2022. Per the mighty Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, a new series of updates is expected for the 2025 model.
The current Apple TV 4K model launched in late 2022 and packed what was then a pretty modern chip: the A15 Bionic. The 2025 model is thought to incorporate either the A17 Pro or A18 chips, which would offer a big gaming upgrade for the unit.
Where AI is concerned, it’s thought that the upcoming device will add Apple Intelligence to its full suite of products.
AI, if properly added to the Apple TV 4K, can offer the following new features, which have been seen on Amazon’s AI-powered Alexa+ assistant on Fire TV:
- Getting personalized TV recommendations based on your current mood
- Jumping to different scenes with only a brief description
- Getting info on music after-the-fact from any part of a show or film
Siri’s big AI upgrades are reportedly launching this fall in iOS 26, in plenty of time for the new and improved assistant to offer more value on the Apple TV 4K too.
Apple is also rumored to be debuting a new Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip that was built entirely in-house with the upgraded Apple TV 4K and other devices, the company moving away from some of its dependence on chipmaker Qualcomm. Per Gurman, the unit would allow Apple to transfer data more quickly, and like the C1 modem that debuted earlier this year, could offer Apple additional advantages to its products.
This change seems a little less certain, but last spring when discussing Apple’s smart home ambitions, Mark Gurman mentioned the company was weighing adding a camera to its next Apple TV 4K.
Finally, Gurman noted that an Apple TV set-top box with a built-in camera for FaceTime videoconferencing and gesture-based controls has been discussed, and the technology will all work seamlessly with both the iPhone and Vision Pro. This could be paired with AI as well as Apple’s other potentially forthcoming products that might feature cameras, such as next-gen AirPods and smart glasses. Adding a camera to the next-gen Apple TV 4K might boost video calls and gesture-based controls. The feature could pair with Apple’s iPhone Continuity Camera feature to enable FaceTime and thus offer a more seamless solution.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
