What we want out of a new Apple TV in 2022 may not be what Apple delivers, but that’s still to be determined. Right now, the existence of any new Apple TV — even a rumored one — is a bit of a surprise.
It seemed as if the Apple TV 4K 2021 (itself one of the best streaming devices) that was released a little more than a year ago was going to be the last new model for a while. That model removed one of the streaming box’s few obvious flaws (its remote), and was the first update in four years. To get another model in 2022? Less than two years later? We’re kinda shocked. But we’re also happy.
So, this is a perfect time to break down all the rumors and news about the new Apple TV. On top of that, we’ve got our own insights about what Apple should do, as we’ve tested and lived with the Apple TV 4K for a while now.
New Apple TV 2022 news and leaks
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, one of the most accurate (opens in new tab) Apple news breakers and leakers, started the most recent round of speculation around a new Apple TV. In a recent edition of his Power On newsletter (opens in new tab), Gurman wrote that the “new Apple TV, code-named J255, is in development with an A14 chip and an additional gigabyte of RAM.”
This goes against the previously-leaked new Apple TV rumor. Ming-Chi Kuo (whose AppleTrack accuracy score isn’t as high as Gurman’s) claimed (opens in new tab) that “Apple will launch a new version of Apple TV that improves cost structure in 2H22.”
For those who don’t speak business jargon, that means making an Apple TV that costs less to produce, and would likely (in turn) be more affordable than the current model. And an Apple TV that has an A14 chip and more RAM would likely be more costly to produce than the current model, which runs on the A12 Bionic chip.
Also, a recent iOS 16 beta release dropped in new references to a new Siri remote (opens in new tab).
New Apple TV 2022 features
So, what would those above changes give you? Well, a lower price would simply make the Apple TV more affordable. It makes a ton of sense, since the $179 / £169 / AU $249 Apple TV 4K is cost-prohibitive for many, when most of the best competitors cost less than a third as much. Tthe Chromecast with Google TV and Roku Streaming Stick 4K are both $50, while the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is $55. That means folks with three TVs in their home can fit each with one 4K streaming device or just buy one Apple TV 4K.
Gurman suggested the A14 Bionic chip in the Apple TV “could be useful for additional gaming capabilities rolling out in tvOS 16.” Apple has been slowly trying to make Apple Arcade a bigger and more-important feature.
But what if both of these rumors are true? In order for that to happen, Apple would need to cut back on one feature. That means there is a chance that Apple could be rolling out a new 1080p Apple TV, or something similar.
As for that new remote? We expect Apple to add in FindMy support, because finding a lost remote is the lowest-hanging fruit, especially when the Roku Voice Remote Pro offers something similar. Third-party Apple Siri Remote cases on Amazon that have a slot for the Apple AirTag on Amazon make it easy to find a missing remote.
New Apple TV 2022 wish list
So what else do we want? Well, it could all start with a USB-C port or two. First off, that would make this device more-travel friendly, as Obscura app developer Ben McCarthy (opens in new tab) told me online.
I want a USB-C port for a different reason — external camera support for SharePlay, where you can synchronously watch content from different locations. Of course, Apple could offer this via Continuity Camera, but I don’t really want to mount my phone somewhere. That said, you can’t assume Apple TV owners have a direct sightline between their Apple TV and their faces.
Two other Apple features we’d love to see the company recycle in the next Apple TV are software features. (It should be noted, though, that tvOS 16 didn’t get a single mention at WWDC 2022.)
Widgets on the new Apple TV home screen could make it easier to see what you want to watch next, check the weather and see what’s going on with connected smarthome cameras. I would personally love for the A14 processor to be there to add more speed for split-view app modes, something you’ve seen on iPadOS and macOS.
