Leak confirms next-gen Apple TV will finally support 4K streaming

The iPhone X will undoubtedly be the main attraction at Apple’s special media event tomorrow, but Apple TV fans will be relieved to know that there is an exciting new hardware refresh just around the corner. Though it’s been rumored for a while, developer Steven Troughton-Smith recently unearthed data strings in the leaked iOS 11 GM that confirms 4K streaming is on the way. Troughton-Smith also found data strings which confirm previous reports regarding Apple’s next-gen Apple TV offering up support for HDR10 and Dolby Vision.

Of course, 4K streaming is extremely bandwidth heavy and it appears that for users to take advantage of the feature, they’ll need a minimum Internet connection of 15Mbps. Troughton-Smith also revealed that the next-gen Apple TV will have a native resolution of 2160p.

"NetworkNo4KForYou" Apple's 4K streaming on the upcoming 4K Apple TV requires a 15Mbps connection pic.twitter.com/JkcpJwD3LX

— Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) September 10, 2017

Apple TV will render natively at 2160p (1080p@2x) and supports a variety of color formats pic.twitter.com/tURvLe7bKz

— Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) September 10, 2017

What remains unclear is when Apple’s newfangled Apple TV will actually hit store shelves. It also remains unclear if Apple is planning to drop the Apple TV‘s sticker price. Though the current Apple TV is a fine device, it’s markedly more expensive than competing devices from the likes of Amazon and Roku. As a quick point, the base level Apple TV currently costs $149. Meanwhile, Amazon’s Fire TV and the Roku Premiere cost $89 and $69, respectively. What’s more, both of those devices offer support for 4K streaming, something which the current Apple TV does not.

On a related note, there have also been rumblings that Apple is trying to work on a service that would enable users to access Hollywood movies while still in theaters. As is to be expected, those talks are reportedly ongoing amid disputes over pricing. Apple is also in the midst of negotiations regarding the price of purchasing a 4K title off of iTunes. Whereas Apple wants to charge $19.99, movie studios reportedly want to charge somewhere in the $30-$40 range.