While the ‘Spring loaded’ event has been all about the M1 powered mean machines that Apple has announced, the event also featured a massive upgrade to the Apple TV. Ever since Apple had announced the event, speculation had been rife that it could serve as a platform for the launch of a brand new 4K avataar of the Apple TV, and turns out, the rumours happened to hit the bullseye.
The hardware of the TV set has been completely revamped, making it much sleeker and more gorgeous to look at. However, the big winner happens to be the capacity to finally support a refresh rate of 120 Hz. People first started speculating the 120 Hz feature when they came across the code of tvOS 14.5, during its beta stage. This new advancement moves forward from the existing models, namely the Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K, which lack in terms of high power refresh rates, since the hardware was not up to mark to support the same. That has now changed with the announcement of the new model, and this means that users can get ready to experience cutting edge images with a clarity that’s never seen before.
It’s not all fun and games though. While everyone definitely has the right to be excited about the new model of the Apple TV 4K, it also appears that such a TV will require a port of HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) 2.1, a first among all high-end TV sets available on the market as of right now. But ofcourse, it is Apple, and it generally presents with hardware that lead the way in terms of new tech. Expect Apple TV to do the same. Companies like Samsung and LG too, are looking to launch TVs supporting HDMI 2.1 ports.
The launch does signal a critical change in direction, when it comes to Apple’s focus on the TV business. This launch basically says, that Apple is moving in the direction of making its Apple TV into a full-fledged, profitable product offering, rather than just a ‘hobby’ which keeps on getting only slightly better with every new model.
In fact, the new TV could be used as an ally to the recently launched Apple Arcade, with the help of which, Apple Inc. is looking to create a steady grip in the gaming market. It also makes the company capable of competing with the likes of the newer models of the XBox and the PlayStation, which already come with a very smooth gameplay, since they have already adopted the 120 Hz refresh rate.
