New Apple TV 4K could be launching at the best possible moment

5 days ago 3

Believe it or not, the first Apple TV product preceded even the iPhone with its initial introduction. Yet for almost two decades, the product has remained fairly niche in Apple’s lineup. But the new Apple TV 4K launching this fall could be the best chance yet to change that.

New Apple TV 4K might be the first to go mainstream

In the early days of the Apple TV, the product was referred to by Apple as a “hobby.”

It wasn’t expected to achieve the kind of success found by the Mac or iPod, or subsequently the iPhone.

Instead, it was just a fun side project in an area Apple cared about.

When the Apple TV HD launched in 2015, Apple sought to make the product more of a hit. For a while, its biggest barrier to mass adoption seemed to be price.

These days, the Apple TV 4K is more affordable than ever at $129—which can be split into multiple payments in many cases.

But when all TVs include access to streaming apps at no extra cost, the Apple TV 4K is still a tough sell.

There are two reasons why Apple’s new model could find wider success though:

a halo effect from Apple TV+
and growing frustration over ads

Apple TV+ success and ad frustration could boost hardware sales

You may have noticed that Apple TV+ is having a very good year.

The streamer has been on a hot streak lately, with hits like Severance, The Studio, Your Friends & Neighbors, and Stick premiering back-to-back. Murderbot and Smoke have been strong offerings too.

Apple TV+ alone won’t drive a huge wave of people splurging for a new Apple TV 4K. But its success could well create a halo effect that tips the scales for prospective buyers who were already considering the streaming box.

Plus, the new Apple TV 4K will launch right around the time Apple TV+ has several more likely hits premiering.

The expected fall lineup for Apple TV+ includes:

If Apple capitalizes on its TV+ success in the marketing for its new Apple TV 4K, the product could very well find greater success than ever.

Additionally, there’s been a disturbing recent trend with other smart TV makers and streaming devices.

In an effort to earn ongoing revenue, more and more ads have been pushed by companies, cluttering the TV software experience.

Roku, for example, even forced ads before you reach your TV’s home screen. Other companies have normalized ads within the home screen.

Many viewers will accept these intrusions as necessary evils. But for anyone increasingly frustrated with OS-level TV ads, a new Apple TV 4K could arrive at just the right time.

The Apple TV 4K may never be as big a hit as core Apple products like the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

But for the reasons above and due to its new features coming, this year’s Apple TV 4K model should have the best chance yet at going more mainstream than ever.

Apple TV+ is available for $9.99 per month and features hit TV shows and movies like Ted Lasso, Severance, The Morning Show, Silo, and Shrinking.