Is a 4K Apple TV Just Around the Corner?

Apple is testing a fifth-generation Apple TV capable of streaming in 4K/Ultra HD (UHD), according to a recent BloombergTechnology report. The news comes weeks after Apple hired away the executive who had been running Amazon’s Fire TV division.
In typical secretive fashion, Apple has not said when it will bring the updated device to market, which raises an obvious question: Why is it taking the world’s leading marketer so long to get its TV act together?

Not only has it been a year-and-a-half since Apple TV was last updated but Amazon, Roku , Nvidia, and Google are all selling 4K-capable devices. And it’s no wonder—sales of 4K TVs are exploding. Some 10 million 4K TVs were sold in the U.S. last year, which was a 40 percent increase over 2015.

In addition to supporting 4K resolution, the Bloomberg report said the new Apple TV will also be capable of “more vivid colors.” Does this mean it will support high dynamic range (HDR)? One would hope so if Apple plans to reassert itself as a leader and regain lost ground in the increasingly competitive arena for streaming devices.

The Bloomberg report offers an interesting look at the evolution of Apple TV:

But the latest Apple TV sells for $149, more than twice as much as its predecessor, $60 more than Amazon’s Fire TV and $20 more than the priciest Roku. What’s more, little about the viewing experience has changed. Apple TV users still have to buy an individual episode via the iTunes Store, pay extra for services like Hulu, or download an app tied to a particular channel and log in with an existing cable subscription.