Apple is expected to announce a new Apple TV streaming box very soon and, when it's announced, there are a few key things it needs to do to be a serious competitor in the streaming landscape. It's been almost four years since the Apple TV 4K was released back in September 2017 and, while it continues to be a solid piece of hardware here in 2021, that's not to say Apple's overall approach to its streaming box was a good one.
There's no denying that the Apple TV 4K has incredible hardware and unmatched processing power compared to streaming devices from Roku and Amazon. Unfortunately, that high-end design hasn't translated into encouraging sales. Per a Strategy Analytics report from 2020, Apple's tvOS operating system (what powers its Apple TV boxes) only accounted for 2% of the global streaming market. That's a minuscule slice of users Apple could be appealing to, especially considering how Apple dominates other areas like phones and smartwatches.
It's clear that something with the Apple TV has to change, both to increase Apple's market share and to create a more functional product for its users. As the release of the 2021 model inches closer and Apple's next hardware event is on the horizon, here are a few things that would make the Apple TV 2021 impossible to ignore.
Deeper Integration Of The Apple TV App
In general, Apple's tvOS operating system for Apple TV is considered one of the better ones out there. It's fast, responsive, easy-to-navigate, and has robust app support for streaming services of all sizes. However, it also has a bit of identity crisis. The Apple TV app was first unveiled in 2016, acting as a one-stop shop for all of a user's streaming needs. It can be used for renting new shows through iTunes, watching content from Apple TV+, and allows users to link their other streaming accounts to browse shows from Hulu, HBO Max, and more directly in the Apple TV app.
The concept and execution of the Apple TV app are both great, but at least on Apple TV streaming boxes, it creates a confusing software experience. Rather than having the Apple TV app experience be the main interface of Apple TV boxes, it's treated just like any other app. If someone wants to use the Apple TV app on their Apple TV box to find something to watch, they have to turn on their Apple TV and then open the Apple TV app. It might not sound like a big deal on paper, but it's always felt odd to have the experience disjointed like this.
What seems like a better solution is to go the route Google did with its Google TV interface. Google TV on the new Chromecast is essentially a carbon copy of the Apple TV app, but rather than being a separate application that users need to open, it's the main interface of the Chromecast. Users can instantly use it to find something to watch, and if they'd rather not use the Google TV UI to find something, there are shortcuts to dive directly into any of the installed streaming applications. It's a relatively small tweak, but it makes Google TV feel like a complete experience rather than some weird side project. Assuming the Apple TV app is here to stay, it's about time it saw similar integration.
A Redesigned Remote
If there's one resounding complaint that people have had with the existing Apple TV box, it's the remote that comes with it. The remote is slick and minimalistic in typical Apple fashion, but it goes a step too far to the point where it's not very enjoyable to use. It's extremely slippery, so thin that it's often not comfortable to hold, and also isn't the most functional compared to its many competitors.
Fixing the Apple TV remote actually wouldn't be that much of a challenge. All Apple needs to do is make it a bit thicker, slightly longer, and possibly add a couple of extra buttons — such as an input button to manually change video sources and a couple of customizable app shortcuts. It'd also be nice to see Apple ditch the controversial touchpad in favor of traditional navigation buttons. Honestly, any of these things would go a long way in making the Apple TV remote a much better experience.
More Affordable Pricing
Above all else, the most important thing the Apple TV 2021 has to get right is its pricing. The Apple TV 4K has had a retail price of $179 ever since its debut in 2017, and while that may not sound outrageous in a bubble, it's exorbitantly more expensive than just about every other 4K streaming device on the market. The Amazon Fire TV 4K costs $50, the Chromecast with Google TV is also $50, and the new Roku Express 4K+ can be purchased for even less at just $40. In other words, Apple priced itself into a corner and has refused to get out of it.
While a $50 Apple TV with 4K streaming is probably out of the question, some kind of price decrease needs to happen this year. The Apple TV 4K has substantially better performance than any of those other streaming devices mentioned above, and when combined with Apple's generally high prices, it doesn't come as a surprise that an Apple-made streaming box is among the most expensive people can buy. One way or another, though, Apple needs to find a way to cut costs.
Even at $100, the Apple TV 2021 would be a lot more appealing. It'd still give Apple room to flex with its design and processor tech, but it would also make the Apple TV considerably more accessible to a much broader audience — the exact thing Apple needs if it wants to seriously compete in the streaming world. While Apple generally isn't known for decreasing prices year-over-year, recent releases like the iPhone XR and iPhone 11 show that it isn't unheard of for the company. Apple knows the Apple TV is overpriced, and especially now with services like Apple TV+, Apple Fitness, and Apple Arcade that are additional revenue-generators for anyone with the Apple TV hardware, Apple is in a better position than ever to fix its pricing model.
And that's it. So much of the Apple TV experience is already top-notch. To take it the extra mile, Apple now needs to refine some of its rough edges and address the elephant in the room — price. It remains to be seen if any of that will actually happen, but with the next hardware event coming up on April 20, that wait shouldn't be too much longer.
Source: Strategy Analytics