Apple TV 4K Features Could Be a No Show

A new Apple TV has been rumored for a while now, but one feature that’s rumored not to arrive for the next-generation Apple TV is 4K capabilities.

According to BuzzFeed, Apple TV 4K  functionality will not arrive because of the lack of televisions that support 4K and the small amount of 4K content that’s currently available.

This isn’t too surprising, considering that 4K is still in its early stages of life. While Netflix and YouTube support 4K video content, it’s fairly limited still and it uses up way more bandwidth than regular HD streaming, which can be a problem for those with ISP bandwidth caps each month.

The latest ramblings of a new Apple TV suggest that we’ll see a new model arrive in June during Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference. The new device is said to receive a significant overhaul in design and will even receive Siri capabilities, as well as its own App Store with apps made specifically for the Apple TV.

The same report (also from BuzzFeed) claims that the Apple TV 4 will feature more onboard storage to store apps (currently the Apple TV has 8GB of storage) and it could use Apple’s latest A8 chip for better performance all around.

There’s no word on pricing of the new Apple TV, but it will probably cost the same $99 that the Apple TV has always been, save for the recent drop in price of the Apple TV 3. We’ll most likely see the Apple TV 4 priced at $99, while the current Apple TV will remain on the market for a cheaper $69, but we’ll ultimately have to wait and see what Apple decides to do.

This report comes soon after another report claims that Apple is working on a television streaming servicefor later this year, which could also be announced and unveiled in June.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple plans to launch a television streaming service in September that will include around 25 channels, which will include big networks such as ABC, CBS, and FOX.

It’s also said that the service will be available on all iOS devices, including the iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV, and will be priced at $30 to $40 per month.

As has been the case for iOS for several years, Apple is expected to announce its streaming service in June (most likely at WWDC) and will detail the new product to the masses, but won’t officially release the service until September when the next iPhone will probably release as well.

The Apple TV has gone well over two years without a refresh, possibly hinting that Apple is close to giving up on the streaming set-top box, but Apple CEO Tim Cook has said in the past that television is a big interest for Apple, so perhaps the company is taking the time to dabble with new technologies.

With so many new streaming boxes released over the last couple of years since the launch of the third-generation Apple TV, many users question if the Apple TV is still as useful when it first released back in 2012. Since that time, we’ve been introduced to a ton of new streaming options, including newer Roku hardware, the Chromecast, Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, the new Nexus Player, and more.

Many of the features of the Apple TV can easily be found on other streaming boxes, especially if you just need access to Netflix, Hulu Plus, or most other streaming apps, as pretty much all streaming boxes come with the major streaming services included.

However, the Apple TV still has its many unique features that users find extremely useful, and only the Apple TV can provide them.

For instance, AirPlay allows you to beam supportable content from your Apple device (like an iPhone, iPad or Mac) to your television using the Apple TV as the delivery man of sorts, allowing you to show photos on the big screen, as well as play videos on your device, but have them show up on your living room television though AirPlay.