I’m actually a huge fan of the Apple TV 4K. In my family’s home, we have a 2017 model in the kitchen, and a 2021 unit in the bedroom. A while ago, the remote for the 2017 streamer stopped working properly — but instead of buying a Roku or Chromecast, which might’ve actually been cheaper, I decided to pony up for a new USB-C Siri Remote. I’d like to put an Apple TV in the living room, too — it’s just difficult to justify the cost for how often my wife and I are in there.

When I do get around to buying another Apple TV, however, I’m actually pretty doubtful that it’ll be the rumored 2025 update. It may actually be wiser for me to track down a 2022 refurb. It’s not necessarily any fault of Apple’s, although there are criticisms you can level. It’s probably more a reflection of the state of streaming as we head into the second half of the 2020s.

What the rumors say about the 2025 Apple TV 4K

Excellent on paper

The rumors are mostly promising so far. It should, for instance, see the premiere of Apple’s first in-house Bluetooth and Wi-Fi chip, which may also allow smart home devices to function better together. I’ve been mostly content with the way my 2017 Apple TV links with my HomePod minis — but until earlier this year, I did suffer occasional disconnects, and HomeKit has long been terrible about keeping third-party accessories connected 24/7. Even my stationary, Wi-Fi-based Ecobee thermostat often shows “no response” errors in the Apple Home app.

The new model is also expected to upgrade to Wi-Fi 7. Practically speaking, that won’t make a huge difference, since even the Wi-Fi 6 radio on the 2022 Apple TV is enough for 4K video, whether online or from a nearby computer. It should, however, open up 6GHz connections for devices with Wi-Fi 6E or later. Greater total network capacity — 46Gbps versus 9.6Gbps — may ensure local data is speedy no matter what’s going on in your home.

Apple will of course put a faster processor in the product, though it’s unclear which one that might be at the moment. Between 2021 and 2022, Apple jumped from an A12 chip to an A15, so it’s conceivable that the company will choose an A18 for the sake of a meaningful speed bump. That would also enable Apple Intelligence, which doesn’t run on anything slower than the A17 Pro found in the iPhone 15 Pro. I should note that no Apple Intelligence features have been revealed for tvOS 26 — but since that would be dependent on new hardware, Apple is probably keeping them under wraps until this fall.

More speculative is the possibility that the 2025 device will be cheaper in order to fend off rivals. Even the entry-level 2022 model is $129, and you have to spend an extra $20 to get features like Thread and Ethernet support. A Google TV Streamer with both Thread and Ethernet is $100 or less, and some basic Roku and Amazon streamers are under the $50 mark. The Apple TV 4K does have superior storage, but it’s likely that many shoppers don’t care — outside of streaming apps, the most you can do with that space is install the few games that support tvOS.

As for a release date, I’m expecting Apple to announce that during its September 2025 iPhone event, based on its history. It might then ship the product within the following week, although it’s hard to say for sure — the Apple TV has always been a secondary device, a way to bolster its ecosystem. One way or another, Apple’s top priority will be the new iPhones, followed by any new Macs, iPads, or Apple Watches.

So what’s the problem?

A question of diminishing returns

Chances are, if you own any Apple TV released since 2017, it still runs like butter. By that I mean tvOS is ultra-smooth, and all the major streaming apps load in an instant, or at least a few seconds. If they don’t, the trouble is liable to be with your internet or Wi-Fi connection rather than Apple’s software. It could also be a third-party app glitch. Certainly, YouTube randomly signs me out or fails to load feeds, which is very annoying when I just want to relax for a few minutes.

You do need a 2022 model or better for HDR10+ support, but even the 2017 model offers the gold standard of HDR, Dolby Vision. Likewise, it supports Apple Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos surround sound. The only major AV or smart home standard missing from the 2022 product (assuming you buy the Thread/Ethernet version) is 8K resolution, and even that’s largely irrelevant. Most people can’t afford an 8K TV, and the only dependable source of 8K content is YouTube. If Apple launches an “Apple TV 8K” this year, it’ll mostly be for the sake of checking a box.

The gist here is that the company has arrived at the same point as the rest of the streaming industry: commoditization. That’s a great thing from a customer’s perspective. It’s easy to find a cheap add-on device with both 4K and HDR, and frequently, that’s redundant. As much as I’d like an Apple TV in my living room, I have to admit that my set’s Google TV interface is good enough — sometimes, it’s better. Google Home tends to be a more reliable smart home ecosystem for me, and both Google Assistant and Google Gemini are preferable to Siri.

The addition of Apple Intelligence could be significant, but only if it somehow surpasses Gemini. The latter already lets you do things like search for “age-appropriate” action movies, or videos that explain the solar system. That’s a high bar, considering that Siri often has to tap ChatGPT just to answer basic science or history questions in text form.

I might look into the 2025 Apple TV if it delivers on both a lower price and genuinely new software functions. Otherwise, I’m going to keep an eye out for those 2022 refurbs I mentioned.