A new Apple TV 4K model with a faster processor appears to be in the works after an unannounced device was referenced in the recently released tvOS 13.4 beta code.
The beta included an Apple TV with a ‘T1125’ codename, which is different from the ‘J105a’ and ‘J42d’ codes for the current 4K model, which launched back in 2017.
While the Apple TV 4K already offers ultra HD resolution and HDR support, it is only powered by the slower A10 Fusion chip, which is similar to the processor included in the iPhone 7.
The beta code referenced a device using the faster A12 and A13 processors, the latter of which powers the latest iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro.
Set-top boxes don’t usually require cutting-edge CPUs, but Apple may want to update its streaming media player to offer better support for Apple Arcade with its catalogue of games and the Apple TV+ service, which went live in November last year.
The reports offered no information about when the new Apple TV 4K may go on sale, but it could potentially be unveiled in the spring and launch alongside the iPhone SE successor.
In other news, Apple was fined $27m by France’s competition watchdog on Friday following its failure to warn customers that it slowed down older iPhones.
Apple said that it introduced the software-based feature to extend the life cycle of devices such as the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s when the battery begins to degrade.
The DGCCRF said that customers were not informed about the smoothing out of battery performance and that Apple had “committed the crime of deceptive commercial practice by omission”.
Apple, which agreed to pay the fine, noted that the performance management feature would not be as pronounced on newer phones due to recent advances in software and hardware.