Credit: Martin Hajek

Apple is rumored to unveil a new Apple TV with 4K streaming capabilities at its annual fall event (which is scheduled for Sept. 12). But while the device hasn’t officially been announced, we potentially know a lot more about it thanks to the huge iOS 11 GM leak over the weekend.

Specifically, the next-generation Apple TV looks like it’ll be a much more powerful streaming device than its predecessors, according to information uncovered by developer Steve Troughton-Smith. For one, the iOS 11 GM leak seems to suggest that the new device will officially be called the Apple TV 4K. More than that, it’s slated to pack some beefed-up internals.

• Reportedly, the Apple TV 4K will ship with a six-core A10 Fusion chipset — which, notably, is the same CPU used in this year’s 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models.
• Those six cores will be evenly split between active apps and background processors, Troughton-Smith revealed in a follow-up tweet.
• The new set-top box will also sport 3 gigabytes of RAM. That’s a pretty big upgrade from the current Apple TV, which sports an A8 processor and 2GB of RAM.

Troughton-Smith revealed other tidbits of information about the Apple TV 4K on Saturday, including that the fifth-generation device will be able to play 2160p video. The iOS 11 GM leak also corroborates previous reports that suggested the new Apple TV would support Dolby Vision and HDR10. Of course, the device’s maximum video quality will be dependent on internet bandwidth — and the leak also revealed that the device will warn users streaming 4K video if internet speeds fall below 15 megabits per second.

On the software side, the Apple TV 4K will ship preloaded with tvOS 11, which will add new features such as notification support, Focus API enhancements and automatic light/dark mode switching. tvOS 11 will also add homescreen synchronization for users running multiple Apple TVs in their homes. Additionally, the new set-top software will add the Amazon Prime Video app and other minor changes.

As for how the Apple TV will stream 4K video, a report from early August suggested that the company has been working to update its collection of content for 4K and HDR — and another suggested that Apple is battling to keep 4K movies priced at $20. Other third-party streaming services, such as Amazon and Netflix, already offer 4K content on certain platforms. It stands to reason that their content will end up on tvOS, too.

The Apple TV 4K is expected to be revealed tomorrow, Sept. 12, at Apple’s annual fall announcement event. Alongside the new set-top box, the company is rumored to be unveiling its highly anticipated OLED iPhone, two incrementally updated iPhones, and an Apple Watch with LTE. iDrop News will be covering the event live, so check back here for all of the latest news, updates and announcements.