Apple TV 6th Generation: Price, Release Date, and News

With streaming services like Netflix, Roku, Amazon, and Apple driving today's multi-million-dollar entertainment industry, rumors churned about what a 6th generation Apple TV would bring to the table. Apple announced the new Apple TV 4K in April 2021; here are the details.

When Did the 6th Generation Apple TV Come Out?

Apple officially announced the Apple TV 6 in April 2021 and said it would be available in late May. The company is taking orders starting April 30.

Because Apple announced the 4th generation Apple TV in September of 2015 and the 5th generation model in 2017, we expected news about a 6th generation model by the fall of 2020. Since industry rumors and countless tweets were wrong about 2020, our bet was on Spring 2021 (probably April), which turned out to be true.

Apple needs a shot in the arm in the streaming wars, but it decided to announce a $500+ pair of headphones rather than something useful like a better Apple TV to get it a sales boost through the holidays. Apple does things the Apple way. Ours is not to reason why.

Apple TV 6 Price

Apple has not yet released the price of the latest Apple TV 4K.

The Apple TV 4K is expensive, running from $179 to $199, while competing devices from Amazon, Google, and Roku cost as little as $35.

Since Apple seems to be particularly interested in selling subscriptions to its streaming video service, we suspect the company will use Apple TV price cuts to tempt subscribers when it does arrive.

While the Apple TV is a simple hockey-puck-sized black square, other streaming devices have a wider variety of options and price points. For example, Roku offers streaming sticks that start at around $39 and more expensive devices, such as the Roku Ultra and Roku TV.

Pre-Order Information

Apple starts taking orders online on April 30, 2021.

The Latest News About Apple TV 6

You can get more streaming news from Lifewire on all kinds of topics; here are more stories (and some of those earlier rumors) about Apple's possible plans for Apple TV.

Apple TV 6 Specs, Hardware and Features

These are actual specs and hardware for the Apple TV 4K (2021), including an updated Siri Remote and faster performance.

Siri Remote

The Apple TV's Siri remote control is one of the device's most controversial features. Many people find it slippery, hard to figure out, and too small.

The next Apple TV 4K adds a power button, a back button and a mute button, and a touch-enabled clickpad. It also moves the Siri button to the clickpad. The clickpad replaces the previous model's touch surface, and we hope it's easier to use.

Performance

The Apple TV 4K has snappy performance, whether you're streaming video or playing games. Apple has made significant strides in the performance of the A-series processors used in the iPhone and iPad since the last Apple TV. The Apple TV 6 has the A12 chip, not the A14 chip, which the iPhone 12 lineup uses.

In May of 2020, tech analyst Jon Prosser tweeted, "New Apple TV 4K with A12X - 64GB/128GB ready to ship. Code name: Neptune T1125." While timing reports now indicate a 2021 release, if Prosser is right about the faster A12 bionic or better processor, we're looking at a more powerful Apple TV.

Storage

While not a major upgrade, storage-capacity increases are common with new generations of Apple products. The Apple TV 4K offers 32 GB and 64 GB of storage, which is the same as previous generations.

Rumors said the new Apple TV 4K would offer larger storage capacities: 64GB and 128GB. In reality, the device stuck with 32 GB and 64 GB, despite the fact that games and apps use more storage space,

Apple Streaming Video Service

The Apple streaming video service won't be exclusive to the 6th generation Apple TV. Still, it will be a big selling point for the device. As Apple increasingly focuses on selling services and not only hardware, a monthly subscription-based streaming video offering could be a big strategic element.

No Face ID

Some rumors suggested that Apple could bring its Face ID facial recognition technology to the Apple TV. You would use it for unlocking the device, authorizing purchases, loading personalized settings, and more.

This rumor didn't pan out, likely because it would require adding a camera to the Apple TV hardware, which wouldn't work with smaller form factors.