It’s no surprise that Apple TV 4K customers are vocal about the lack of new hardware. The current set-top box, which will be introduced in 2022, risks breaking records that no one wants.
New Apple TV 4K coming in 2026
The good news is that Apple is reportedly preparing a new Apple TV 4K.
The bad news? Apple may wait for AI-related software updates before releasing them. That could mean tvOS 27 in the fall.
If that happens, the current Apple TV 4K hardware will set a new record for the longest-selling version of a product before an update.
As of April 1, 1,244 days have passed since the current Apple TV 4K was released.
Meanwhile, Apple continues to update its current Apple TV 4K hardware with new features.
Original Apple TV 4K holds current record
If Apple doesn’t release a new Apple TV 4K by July 4th, the current A15 Bionic Apple TV 4K, which launches in 2022, will be the longest-selling version before the next update.
This would break the existing record set by the A10X Fusion model in 2017.
The A10X Fusion model was the original Apple TV 4K and the latest model available for purchase during a 1,337-day update.
It was released 693 days after Apple TV in 2015, which introduced the tvOS platform. Apple sold the Apple TV HD for 2,545 days starting in 2015 before finally discontinuing it, but it remained the lower-priced option in its lineup for most of its sales period.
Why your current Apple TV 4K feels like it’s past time to upgrade
There’s another reason why the current time between Apple TV hardware releases seems particularly long. The upgrade from the 2nd generation Apple TV 4K to the current generation Apple TV 4K took place in just 532 days.
Apple reconfigured its 3rd generation Apple TV 4K hardware in 2022, making it more affordable compared to the first two Apple TV 4K versions.
If you plan on using one version for several years, it’s better to at least go with a more competitively priced version.
