Best Apple TV of 2019Source: iMore

What you need to know

  • There might be a new Apple TV 4K on the way.
  • 9to5 Mac claims to have spotted a new codename in the tvOS 13.4 beta.
  • It's purported to be based on arm64e architecture, the same used in Apple's A12 and A13 chips.

There might be a new Apple TV 4K on the way, after 9to5 Mac reportedly spotted the codename for a new piece of hardware in the tvOS 13.4 beta.

According to their report:

Yesterday Apple released first developer betas as part of its next round of software releases: iOS 13.4, iPadOS 13.4, macOS 10.15.4, tvOS 13.4, and watchOS 6.2. We've already discovered some new things hidden in the system, such as the new CarKey API, and now 9to5Mac has found references to a new Apple TV model in the tvOS 13.4 beta code.

The codes reveal a new Apple TV with the codename "T1125", while the current Apple TV 4K is named "J105a" and the HD model is "J42d". The letter "T" at the beginning suggests that it's an internal model, probably a prototype that hasn't been completely finished yet.

The report claims that the internal files point to hardware based on arm64e architecture. That's the same architecture used in Apple's A12 and A13 Bionic chips. The current gen Apple TV 4K runs on the A10 chip, so that would be quite a big jump in terms of perfomance.

The reported maximum resolution will remain 4K with HDR, because you know... Apple TV... 4K.

The Apple TV 4K was announced at the Apple event held on September 12, 2017, serving us faithfully in all things Ultra-HD ever since. That being said, it's a little long in the tooth in Apple terms, so a refresh to the lineup would be very much welcome.

It's quite likely that if Apple is indeed planning to hold a March event, then it would make sense for Apple to announce a new Apple TV 4k then.