New Apple TV 4K is on the way! Here are expected features

With Apple TV+ experiencing its best year yet, Apple’s TV set-top box, the Apple TV 4K, is awaiting its first hardware overhaul since 2022, and this update is expected to arrive very soon. Here are four key features we expect to see in the new Apple TV 4K.

A17 Pro Processor

The current Apple TV 4K model was released in late 2022 and featured the A15 Bionic, a modern chip at the time. However, Apple’s silicon chip development continues unabated, and demanding software like Apple Intelligence and new games require a more powerful chip. Recent leaks suggest the new Apple TV 4K will feature the A17 Pro chip.

The A17 Pro is currently considered the minimum chip required to support Apple’s AI features. This chip is expected to unlock these features, which will become even more important next year, while also significantly improving the gaming performance of Apple’s set-top box.

Apple Intelligence Support

Apple’s gradual addition of AI to its entire product line is no surprise. While Apple Intelligence initially supported only iPhone, iPad, and Mac, it arrived on the Vision Pro this spring and on the Apple Watch with the new watchOS 26.

Rumors suggest that the new Apple TV 4K will also come with AI features. However, these features may remain minimal until the major Siri overhaul arrives.

Apple’s New N1 Wireless Chip

It’s a big year for Apple-designed silicon chip technologies. The N1, the company’s new wireless chip, joins the company’s C1 and C1X modems and combines Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Thread technologies. This new chip is already in the new iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone Air models, and will also be featured in the updated Apple TV 4K.

Apple expects similar benefits to those brought by the N1 chip for the iPhone to be applied to Apple’s Home products, with new accessories on the horizon.

Center Stage Camera

While this change is a bit more vague, Mark Gurman stated last year that Apple was considering adding a camera to the next Apple TV 4K while discussing its smart home ambitions. Gurman wrote that the company was discussing offering a revamped Apple TV box with a built-in camera for FaceTime video conferencing and gesture-based controls.

In this age of AI, there are rumors that cameras will be added to many new Apple products (including AirPods and smart glasses). Adding a camera to the Apple TV 4K makes sense for the potential AI benefits, as well as for two use cases Gurman mentioned: video calls and gesture-based controls.

FaceTime is already a feature of tvOS, but it can currently only be activated using the iPhone’s Continuity Camera. FaceTime changes in tvOS 26 hint at the possibility of a built-in camera. With the introduction of the new Center Stage front camera on the iPhone 17, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a similar feature on the new Apple TV.

Since the Apple TV 4K typically releases with updates spaced several years apart, Apple is expected to include many new features in this new hardware revision.