There’s a new iPhone every year, but that doesn’t mean Apple refreshes the rest of its devices annually. Those in the market for a set-top box want to know what the newest Apple TV model is, but the answer is surprising. Read on to find out info on when the latest Apple TV was released.
What’s the latest Apple TV model?
Surprisingly, the newest Apple TV model was released in September 2017. The Apple TV 4K is the 5th generation of the set-top box and, as the name suggests, was the first in the line to support 4K output. It also brought compatibility with other video technology like HDR10 and Dolby Vision, and HEVC hardware video decoding. Additionally, though it didn’t launch with Dolby Atmos support, this feature was added when tvOS 12 was released.
Since the first Apple TV released in 2007, Apple has released a new model around every 2-4 years. That would mean the line is due for a refresh, but Apple hasn’t commented on whether a new one would be coming.
Some might be hesitant to purchase an Apple TV 4K with the chance of a new model debuting soon, but it’s still a capable device. Even at three years old, it’s incredibly snappy and affordable at $149.99 for the 32 GB model. It’s continuing to receive regular updates, and given Apple’s track record, it’ll continue to be supported for years to come.
The likely reason that a new Apple TV hasn’t been released is that there’s no need for one. The adoption rate for 8K screens isn’t nearly high enough to justify an Apple TV 8K, and HDMI 2.1’s new features are primarily gaming-related. So, even if Apple did release a new model right now, it’d probably just be a refresh of the 4K with a newer CPU and maybe more RAM.
