Apple is designing an updated version of the Apple TV 4K, and rumors suggest that it could come out sometime in the next couple of months. We're not expecting a major overhaul with design changes, but even a simple chip upgrade will bring major improvements to Apple's set-top box.
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We've rounded up all the latest Apple TV rumors.
- New A-Series Chip - The next-generation Apple TV is expected to get an updated A-series chip, and Apple backend code we found suggests that it'll use the A17 Pro. The A17 Pro is the chip that Apple first used in the iPhone 15 Pro models, and it would bring Apple Intelligence support to the Apple TV for the first time. The A17 Pro is built on 3-nanometer technology and it would also bring support for console-quality games thanks to much improved CPU and GPU performance. It'll be a significant improvement over the current A15 Bionic chip.
- Apple-designed Wi-Fi Chip - Apple debuted its custom N1 networking chip in the iPhone 17 models, and rumors suggest that the N1 will also be used in the upcoming Apple TV. It adds support for Wi-Fi 7, which is not a current Apple TV feature. With Wi-Fi 7 support, the Apple TV will be able to connect to Wi-Fi networks that support the faster and less crowded 6GHz band. Users can expect faster Wi-Fi speeds and lower latency.
- Better Siri - With a faster chip that supports Apple Intelligence, the next-generation Apple TV will support the LLM version of Siri that Apple plans to debut next year. Siri will be more like Claude or ChatGPT, which could lead to better Apple TV recommendations, the option to use voice commands to do more than before, better support for questions about actors and music in movies and shows, and much more. Siri improvements won't come until spring 2026.
- A Camera? - This is far from guaranteed and we haven't heard anything about it for quite some time, but there have been rumors suggesting that a future version of the Apple TV could have a front-facing camera for FaceTime. Right now, the Apple TV requires a connected iPhone for FaceTime calls, but if a built-in camera is added, an iPhone wouldn't be needed. A camera could also add support for gesture-based controls.
- tvOS 26 - The next-generation Apple TV will run tvOS 26, the latest version of tvOS that came out in September. tvOS 26 has the new Liquid Glass design, changes to the Apple TV app interface, easier profile selection when logging in, Live Captions for FaceTime, and new aerial screensavers. There's also an option to use an iPhone as a microphone with the Apple Music Sing karaoke feature on the Apple TV.
- Pricing - There's a possibility that Apple will cut costs for the next Apple TV, and Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has suggested that Apple is targeting a price point around $100. With the A17 Pro chip and the N1 chip, Apple might not be able to hit that price with the flagship model, but there could be a lower-end entry-level option that's more affordable. Pricing right now starts at $129.
Apple could release the new Apple TV model before the end of the year in November or December, but at this point it's also possible we won't be seeing it until early 2026.
For more on the next Apple TV 4K, we have a dedicated rumor guide that receives regular updates.
