Sketchy Report Claims Apple Working on Redesigned Apple TV With Thinner Design and 'Plexiglass' Top - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Sketchy Report Claims Apple Working on Redesigned Apple TV With Thinner Design and 'Plexiglass' Top

Apple is working on a redesigned Apple TV box that will feature a flatter, thinner footprint, and a "plexiglass" top, according to a questionable report from iDropNews.

apple tv 4k design
The report, citing "sources," claims that an ‌Apple TV‌ with a thinner and flatter design is in the works, eliminating the "horribly outdated and bulky" design of the current generation ‌Apple TV‌. According to the sketchy report, the ‌Apple TV‌ will feature a "plexiglass" top, a design feature that's expected to debut in an upcoming Mac mini. The redesign mentioned in the report is reminiscent of the design of the first-generation ‌Apple TV‌.

first gen apple tv
Neither iDropNews nor the author of this report has an established track record, so all of the information should be taken with a large pinch of salt. The report also states that the new ‌Apple TV‌ will have "sharp edges like the iPhone 13, iPad Pro, and iMac." The claim is somewhat moot, considering that the current ‌Apple TV‌ design is already flat-edged with hard edges.

Another rumor in the report is about Apple working on a "Nintendo Switch style gaming console." The information is a regurgitation of previous rumors, claiming that Apple is working on a gaming console to advance its gaming portfolio. Today's rumor states that it will be Apple's take on a "premium hybrid gaming console" and will have performance that "will outperform anything that Microsoft or Sony offers in 2021."

Reliable leaker L0vetodream in 2020 said that Apple is working on a gaming controller, but that's yet to be seen in a consumer product. Apple launched Apple Arcade, its gaming subscription service, in 2019 and has since promoted the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and ‌Apple TV‌ as powerful devices to play games on. Earlier this year, Apple updated the ‌Apple TV‌ with an A12 Bionic chip, offering even more performance for ‌Apple Arcade‌ games.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Buy Now)

Popular Stories

Apple TV 4K HomeView HomePod Mini tweaked

New Apple TV 4K, HomeView, and HomePod Mini: 16 Details Just Leaked

Sunday October 11, 2026 12:56 pm PDT by
Just two days before Apple's "Welcome home" experience in New York, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has leaked several details about the new products set to be unveiled, including an all-new smart home hub, a HomePod mini 2, and a new Apple TV 4K. Here is an all-in-one summary of the details shared by Gurman:Apple's home hub with a touch-enabled display will be named HomeView, seemingly confirming a ...
Apple TV 4K 4th Generation Top View5

New Apple TV 4K Announced With A19 Chip, Updated Siri Remote, More

Tuesday October 13, 2026 6:08 am PDT by
Apple today announced the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K, with key features including an A19 chip, Siri AI support, an updated Siri Remote that has Find My support with Precision Finding, built in far-field microphones, support for surround sound with four HomePods in front and rear pairs, and more. The A19 chip in the new Apple TV 4K delivers up to 50% faster CPU performance and up to twice...
iPad mini 7 Review Thumb 1 sans text

Apple Expected to Release New Products on Next Four Fridays

Sunday October 18, 2026 11:01 am PDT by
Apple likely plans to release MacBook Pro models with OLED displays, 14-inch MacBook Pro and iMac models with M6 chips, and/or an iPad mini 8 with an OLED display on Friday, November 6, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The devices are expected to be announced on Tuesday, October 27 or Wednesday, October 28. If this timeframe proves to be accurate, then Apple will be releasing new...

Top Rated Comments

ScrumpyDaniel Avatar
66 months ago
"Horribly outdated and bulky'. Really?! The design is absolutely fine and is easy to hide/sit by a TV and looks good.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
66 months ago
The entire point of the black Apple TV is for it to disappear in the dark. We don't need a fancy redesign, just new features.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bassanoclapper Avatar
66 months ago
The only improvement required is a cheaper price
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
66 months ago

A HDMI stick surely would be better?
A tiny USB-powered HDMI stick vs. a box would be a reasonable option for someone who didn’t want wired Ethernet, had a TV with spare HDMI and a USB power outlet, and maybe just wanted basic streaming services, not sophisticated apps.

Otherwise, the Apple TV is as small as it needs to be - making it smaller will probably start with needing a power brick, and cramming the connectors closer together. The weight of the current unit is an *advantage* as it stays where it’s put and doesn’t get dragged around by the weight of cables.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
66 months ago

Apple would ruin a gaming console with all their family friendly nonsense if they did get a true console… and there isn’t Macy here in allle arcade that’s true gaming console worthy
Family friendly content is literally the focus of Nintendo and they sell more hardware and software then anyone
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
10anta Avatar
66 months ago

The only improvement required is a cheaper price
And proper multi-user support i.e. I want my kids to have their own accounts that keeps their content separate, with no access to my watch list or mature themes
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
Everything New in the iOS 27.3 Beta
Everything New in the iOS 27.3 Beta
5 hours ago
Apple Music's New Selfie Sing Feature Lets You Record Karaoke Videos
Apple Music's New Selfie Sing Feature Lets You Record Karaoke Videos
5 hours ago
iPhone Jailbreak Gets Past Lockdown Mode and Survives an Update
iPhone Jailbreak Gets Past Lockdown Mode and Survives an Update
7 hours ago
iPadOS 27.3 Expands Siri Mode to Camera App
iPadOS 27.3 Expands Siri Mode to Camera App
8 hours ago
Veterans Day Apple Watch Activity Challenge Launches November 11
Veterans Day Apple Watch Activity Challenge Launches November 11
9 hours ago
Best Early Black Friday Mac Deals: Save Hundreds on MacBook Air, Mac Mini, and More
Best Early Black Friday Mac Deals: Save Hundreds on MacBook Air, Mac Mini, and More
10 hours ago
Apple Fitness+ Gets Gym Strength Plans in iOS 27.3
Apple Fitness+ Gets Gym Strength Plans in iOS 27.3
10 hours ago
iOS 27.3 Adding New StandBy Mode Features to iPhone 11 and Newer
iOS 27.3 Adding New StandBy Mode Features to iPhone 11 and Newer
10 hours ago
Apple Releases New AirPods Beta Firmware
Apple Releases New AirPods Beta Firmware
10 hours ago
iOS 27.3 Beta Brings Apple Intelligence to China
iOS 27.3 Beta Brings Apple Intelligence to China
10 hours ago
iPhone Duo Gets Reachability in iOS 27.3 Beta
iPhone Duo Gets Reachability in iOS 27.3 Beta
10 hours ago
Siri AI Gets More Capable in iOS 27.3
Siri AI Gets More Capable in iOS 27.3
10 hours ago
iOS 27.3 Adds Vertical Tabs and Adaptive Dark Mode to Safari
iOS 27.3 Adds Vertical Tabs and Adaptive Dark Mode to Safari
11 hours ago
watchOS 27.3 Brings Live Rewind and Siri Recap to Apple Watch
watchOS 27.3 Brings Live Rewind and Siri Recap to Apple Watch
11 hours ago
iOS 27.3 Beta Brings Back Apple's Redesigned Health App
iOS 27.3 Beta Brings Back Apple's Redesigned Health App
11 hours ago
Apple Releases First macOS Golden Gate 27.3 Beta
Apple Releases First macOS Golden Gate 27.3 Beta
11 hours ago
Apple Seeds First iOS 27.3 Beta
Apple Seeds First iOS 27.3 Beta
11 hours ago
Apple Releases First watchOS 27.3, tvOS 27.3 and visionOS 27.3 Betas
Apple Releases First watchOS 27.3, tvOS 27.3 and visionOS 27.3 Betas
11 hours ago
iPad Mini 8 Reviewer Dissatisfied With Apple's Excuse for Lack of 120Hz Display
iPad Mini 8 Reviewer Dissatisfied With Apple's Excuse for Lack of 120Hz Display
11 hours ago
iPad Mini 8 Review Claims Battery Life is Way Better Than Apple Says
iPad Mini 8 Review Claims Battery Life is Way Better Than Apple Says
12 hours ago
B&H Photo Launches Early Black Friday Sale With Discounts on Macs and Accessories
B&H Photo Launches Early Black Friday Sale With Discounts on Macs and Accessories
12 hours ago
iPhone Duo Could Take Nearly 30% of Foldable Market in 2027
iPhone Duo Could Take Nearly 30% of Foldable Market in 2027
13 hours ago
Apple Watch Automatically Identifies Songs Playing Around You
Apple Watch Automatically Identifies Songs Playing Around You
13 hours ago
iPhone 18 Rumored to Get Larger Battery and Potential Price Increase
iPhone 18 Rumored to Get Larger Battery and Potential Price Increase
14 hours ago
Apple Store in UK Permanently Closing Later This Month
Apple Store in UK Permanently Closing Later This Month
14 hours ago
Apple's Annual R&D Spending Jumps by More Than $11 Billion
Apple's Annual R&D Spending Jumps by More Than $11 Billion
15 hours ago
Will Apple Ever Merge iPadOS and macOS? John Ternus Responds
Will Apple Ever Merge iPadOS and macOS? John Ternus Responds
15 hours ago
MacBook Neo Gets Rare $30 Amazon Discount
MacBook Neo Gets Rare $30 Amazon Discount
15 hours ago
Hands-On: The OLED iPad Mini is Almost an iPad Pro Mini
Hands-On: The OLED iPad Mini is Almost an iPad Pro Mini
15 hours ago
tvOS 27.2.1 and macOS 27.2.1 Likely Coming Soon
tvOS 27.2.1 and macOS 27.2.1 Likely Coming Soon
16 hours ago