The next Apple TV box will be able to stream content in 4K Ultra HD and “more vivid colors”, according to Bloomberg. The latter is likely a reference to HDR (High Dynamic Range).

Next Apple TV to feature 4K
The American company launched the current Apple TV box in October 2015. This hardware is limited to 1080p HD quality.

The next version of the streaming box, internally dubbed ”J105”, will reportedly support streaming in 4K and “more vivid colors”, according to sources who Bloomberg has spoken to. “More vivid colors” is likely a reference to HDR (High Dynamic Range) since the base standard for 4K Ultra HD does not include a wide color gamut.

Bloomberg says that the new hardware “may release as soon as this year”. Apple often launches new products in spring or autumn. The current hardware was launched in autumn 2015 ahead of the Holiday shopping season.


Bloomberg also touches on some of the decisions that that has led Apple to the current hardware and tvOS software, including the company’s rumored TV service. Bloomberg claims that the TV service was supposed to be based on the idea of a “skinny bundle” of TV channels, but that content owners refused to slim down the bundle, which – to us – sounds highly unlikely. The Apple Music service is not based on the concept of radio stations either.

Bloomberg recently reported that the company has hired a former executive in charge of the Amazon FireTV to head Apple TV development.

Regardless of the development steps taken to get here, it appears that the next Apple TV version will introduce a major improvement in picture quality. Competitors have offered 4K for one or more years already but Apple is known to be patient and wait for all pieces to fall into place. Whether this means that iTunes will also start offering 4K movies is not clear so we will just have to wait for Apple to announce everything.

- Source: Bloomberg