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.
Many of the rumors surrounding a new Apple TV streamer are tied to the huge smart home push that Apple is expected to make in 2025. This could include accessing Apple TV+ via a smart display or controlling your set-top box using an upgraded, smarter Apple HomePod.
Here are all the Apple TV streaming device rumors we're tracking.
Apple TV 2025: Price and release date predictions
Apple sells two versions of the Apple TV with a 64GB storage capacity and a 128GB version for $129 and $149, respectively.
There was a rumor before WWDC 2024 from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who claimed that Apple might release an upgraded and cheaper Apple TV. It was suggested that the new box sells for under $100, with analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claiming it would sell for around $99.
Beyond that, there have been no other price suggestions.
As for the release date, we don't have a specific window outside of the first half of 2025. Reportedly, some kind of smart home device is going to debut in March of 2025, and the Apple TV could be that product, though more than likely, it will be whatever HomePod concept Apple is toying with.
Apple does not have a specific release window for the Apple TV, as evidenced by when it released previous boxes:
- Apple TV 4K (2022): October 2022
- Apple TV 4K (2021): April 2021
- Apple TV 4K: September 2017
- Apple TV HD: September 2015
- Apple TV (3rd generation): March 2012
- Apple TV (2nd generation): September 2010
- Apple TV: March 2007
Apple TV 2025: Design Predictions
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.
The Cupertino company is also working on a combination Wi-Fi and Bluetooth networking chip that is purportedly going to launch in the new Apple TV and a HomePod Mini. The chip, codenamed Proxima, will debut in the first half of 2025. Proxima is supposed to support Wi-Fi 6E, an upgrade over the Wi-Fi 6 chip in the current Apple TV.
Apple TV 2025: Possible features and specs
Unfortunately, outside of a faster processor and potential new networking chip, we've seen few suggestions about potential new features in the Apple TV 2025.
Many of the rumors surrounding the next-generation Apple TV have been tangentially connected to whatever Apple is doing with its future HomePod, which could feature a seven-inch OLED display, be wall-mounted with an iPad-esque display or be connected to a robotic arm for $1,000.
Apple reportedly wants to make a big push into the smart home market by offering a variety of interconnected devices and a potential smart home control center, such as the Amazon Echo Show 15 or Google Nest Hub.
The new homeOS, as it's been dubbed, is supposed to be based on tvOS, which hints at strong integration between Apple TV and whatever the smart home device turns into.
Reportedly, Apple wants tighter integration between its home devices, which suggests that the Apple TV could be used as a control center.
Apple TV 2025: Outlook
In 2024, many of the latest Apple TV rumors have it tightly tied in with the next generation of HomePod, and it appears more and more likely that a new Apple TV device will be integrated into some kind of smart home interface.
Unlike the iPhone or MacBook, it's not a device that gets a lot of rumor love. Of course, as with any rumor, take them with a grain of salt, as this is all speculation.
At its simplest, the new streaming box will be smaller and faster.
If it goes further, it may be anything from an OLED TV to a part of a HomePod or control center.
It all points to an interesting future for Apple TV, and I hope that Apple will be willing to experiment with its streaming device when so many other companies are playing with sticks and boxes.
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