The Apple TV 4K is my favourite streaming field in the marketplace by a great margin. The Apple TV 4K can be the oldest streaming field I personal. I’m nonetheless utilizing the first-gen field that dates again to 2017, and this implies it is near a decade outdated. It nonetheless works, nevertheless it’s positively exhibiting its age. I’ve needed to power shut apps far more than I did just a few years in the past, so the writing feels prefer it’s on the wall.
I plan to maintain on utilizing my Apple TV 4K till it lastly bites the mud, however I used to be seeking to improve it in 2025. I had my eyes on the third-gen mannequin, however rumors saved indicating a brand new, fourth-gen mannequin was proper across the nook. As it seems, that wasn’t the case, and I used to be left holding the bag for one thing that wasn’t coming. The rumor mill has already began up once more about this elusive fourth-gen Apple TV 4K, however I’m accomplished ready for it. I do not plan on shopping for a third-gen mannequin instantly since mine is working tremendous, however I do not see myself ready round for brand spanking new tech like this once more. There’s no level in ready, particularly for the reason that third-gen mannequin would’ve been an enormous improve. With the advantage of hindsight, I actually ought to’ve simply grabbed that new Apple TV 4K after I needed to.
Waiting round is not price it
They will not get me once more
My Apple TV 4K stopped receiving notable updates. It would not have Liquid Glass. It would not have extra facet ratios. It by some means did not get the Snoopy backgrounds both. Although it nonetheless works with all my apps, it feels prefer it’s been left behind in a approach that the third and second-generation Apple TV 4K fashions have not. I’ve a great purpose to improve, and I might’ve accomplished it months in the past as an alternative of being locked in a cycle of ready. My drawback was that I saved seeing articles and completely different folks saying {that a} new Apple TV 4K was deliberate for 2025. I had no purpose to not belief that info, however right here we’re in 2026 and there isn’t any new mannequin to talk of.
What I ought to’ve accomplished to ease my issues is look towards the second-generation Apple TV 4K. It’s nonetheless getting updates, so it isn’t like Apple has simply deserted it. The third-gen mannequin will possible be very related for years to return, so I might’ve simply gotten that one and known as it a day. A fourth-gen mannequin could be sooner, nevertheless it’s not just like the third and even second-generation fashions are slouches. My first-gen gadget nonetheless feels sooner than the 2024 Roku Ultra I’ve in my bed room.
New tech at all times feels prefer it’s on the way in which, so it is simple to get paralyzed by at all times ready. I’ve discovered over time, particularly with this Apple TV 4K state of affairs, that it is higher to simply get what you need instantly. I might’ve been utilizing this gadget for a 12 months now and have been completely joyful. Instead, I’m caught utilizing one thing that is nearly a decade outdated and wishing it had been one thing newer.
This line of considering might be utilized to all know-how. I see it usually within the PC gaming house the place any person asks if they need to improve to the newest CPU or GPU solely to be instructed that the brand new era is only a few days away. It’s good recommendation on the floor, however you run the danger of the present state of affairs we discover ourselves in the place the RAM costs skyrocketed, and now it is a unhealthy concept to construct a PC. If you had simply purchased one thing once you wanted it, you may not have run into this challenge.
Basically, in case you’re one thing you propose on utilizing instantly, there isn’t any sense in ready until you are just a few days earlier than Black Friday or one thing like that. If you wait round, you may simply run right into a state of affairs like I discovered myself in the place you are simply ready all 12 months for completely nothing to return. I do not need to have that feeling once more, so the subsequent time I would like one thing, I’m simply going to purchase it with out considering too onerous about it.
A brand new Apple TV 4K is nowhere in sight
What could possibly be taking so lengthy?
I do not need to say the rumors had been flawed as a result of it isn’t just like the details about a brand new gadget did not come from credible sources. There might really be fairly a bit occurring behind the scenes that led to a delay, and it could be the identical factor inflicting the next-gen consoles from being launched.
With RAM costs being the way in which they’re, it might simply make the worth of a brand new Apple TV 4K shoot up as nicely. The Apple TV 4K is already the most costly streaming field by a great margin, and bloated RAM costs might make that even larger. Coupled with tariffs elevating the worth of every little thing, it’d simply be a continuing state of unhealthy timing for the discharge of recent {hardware}.
This is not affecting simply Apple, nevertheless it’s an issue throughout all of tech. Graphics card costs are extraordinarily excessive, and we have already seen the value of the Xbox get raised due to the tariffs. I’m not sure that is what’s occurring with Apple and the discharge of the Apple TV 4K, nevertheless it is sensible to me.
If you are keen to stay it out and keep affected person, you may see a brand new launch a while this 12 months. With how many rumors there have been, it definitely looks like there is a smoking gun, however there’s actually no solution to know for sure. Every time any person was adamant there could be an announcement on the subsequent Apple occasion, it at all times got here and went with none launch.
I hope Apple drops a brand new mannequin out of nowhere so I will not immediately really feel burned if I decide up a third-gen gadget. Based on my luck, I’ll purchase a brand new Apple TV after ready for over a 12 months for a brand new one, after which Apple will announce the fourth-generation. If I took my very own recommendation, I would not even be upset about that, for the reason that third-gen will probably be supported for years to return.
