Next gen Apple TV likely won't be 4K compatible

Citing sources close to Apple's plans, BuzzFeed News recently reported that the "next-gen" Apple TV will not support 4K streaming at launch. 

Despite reports that the A8 system-on-chip (SoC) processor in the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, capable of handling 4K content, was to be powering the Apple TV, it seems that may not be the case at all. "4K is great, but still in its infancy," the unnamed source said. While it's true that 4K content has not yet taken off in the way experts believe it will (and that is certainly the case here in India) it's definitely on the cusp of breaking into the big leagues, give or take a year or two. However, Apple is not a company known for building future-looking hardware into its devices as a preparation, when instead it can build a new device entirely when the need arises. 

And yet, this time, the move might make financial sense. Making the Apple TV 4K compatible automatically drives up the retail price, eliminating the chance for consumers to buy a non-4K TV for less, should they choose to. And internet standards are not at a uniform across the world, with 4K content requiring a minimum 15 Mbps connection for streaming, putting a strain on Apple's capability to focus on its current content delivery structure.

No word yet on when the Apple TV is set to debut, but it's safe to say that might happen at the Apple Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in June this year.