Earlier today, we reported on the first evidence of an updated hardware model of the Apple TV. The tvOS-powered device was first announced back in 2015 and lags in a few different areas, so it’s more than due for an update.
Not much has been rumored as for what features the next-generation model may have, but there are a few possibilities, many of which we highlighted earlier this year in our look at the future of the Apple TV and tvOS.
What feature would you most like to see come to the next-gen Apple TV?
One possible, if not likely, new feature is 4K support. The current Apple TV infamously lacks support for 4K and as TV prices start to fall, its absence is becoming increasingly notable. Additionally, by not supporting 4K, the Apple TV lags behind most of its competitors, some of which are more affordable as well. Adding 4K support, however, would mean we’d also presumably (or hopefully) get an update to iTunes as well, adding support for renting and purchasing movies and TV in 4K quality.
Aside from 4K, it’s been rumored time and time again that Apple is working on an Amazon Echo-like product based around Siri. This “Siri Speaker” is said to function as a sort of AI virtual assistant similar to Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home. One thing that that has been suggested is that the Apple TV could very well act as a Siri Speaker, serving as an always-listening assistant. Little is known about Apple’s efforts in this area, though, so we’ll have to wait and see if it is indeed planning such a device.
Additionally, it was reported that Apple is planning to discontinue the AirPort line of products. This revelation has caused some to speculate that the Apple TV could theoretically function as a router, or at least a router extender like AirPort Express.
Users have also continued to call on Apple to make the Apple TV more powerful and turn it into a more capable gaming device. Apple made progress in doing so earlier this year when it moved the app size restriction for tvOS apps from 200MB to 4GB.
Personally, I would love for the Apple TV to turn into an always-listening Siri Speaker, making it compete with the likes of Alexa. However, if Apple does this, it needs to take a hard look at improving Siri, as well.
What feature would you most like to see come to the next-gen Apple TV? Let us know in the poll above and the comments below.
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