“Apple TV hardware hasn’t been updated for two years—which just so happens to be the typical length of time before a new model is introduced. This year, Apple could have a special impetus to update Apple TV based on its new Apple Arcade gaming subscription and the availability of the faster, smaller A12X chip,” Daniel Eran Dilger writes for AppleInsider:
The most recent fifth-generation Apple TV 4K was introduced in September 2017, powered by the same A10X Fusion used in 2017 iPad Pro models. It replaced the fourth generation “Apple TV HD” that was introduced two years prior… Two years after the last Apple TV shipped, Apple now has a much more powerful A12 Bionic chip family that it has already shipped across hundreds of millions of iPhones and iPads over the last year. That volume helps to reduce the cost of the chip due to the economies of scale.
This year, the introduction of Apple Arcade focused new attention on Apple TV as a gaming option. One of the primary features of the new Arcade gaming subscription is the ability to run titles across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and tvOS. Users can begin playing a game on their TV and continue playing later on a Mac or mobile device. This should significantly enhance the status of Apple TV as a gaming device… It’s possible Apple could introduce a new Apple TV next week at its iPhone 11 event, but hints at a later introduction of new iPad Pro models could mean that a new TV refresh might occur in October.
MacDailyNews Take: We’d expect a new Apple would debut along with Apple Arcade, which likely merits an event that doesn’t confuse Apple’s 2019 iPhone unveiling. So, a later event with new iPads, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and Apple TV hardware seems probable. Regardless, Apple Arcade holds so much promise by itself that it’s sure to drive Apple TV hardware purchases as iPhone, iPad, and Mac users look to round out their ecosystems and bring their games over to their large screen 4K TVs!