The Apple TV 4K 4th Generation was announced just over two weeks ago. Now, I'm not totally smitten with it due to the substantial price tag and the fact that I can access most new features via an older Apple TV 4K, but there are some genuinely interesting upgrades worth noting.
The most intriguing is the ability to pair the streamer with four HomePods to create a wireless Dolby Atmos surround sound system, akin to the Sony Bravia Theatre Quad or Valerion Thunderbeat systems we've tested previously.
You can mix and match HomePods, provided the respective front and back pairs match; essentially, that means you can choose from four HomePod 2s, four HomePod Mini 2s, or two HomePod 2s as fronts with two HomePod Mini 2s as surrounds.
As a recent HomePod convert, this is music to my home cinema-loving ears. Apple's audio tuning has been consistently excellent across all of the HomePods we've tested, and we know that the HomePod 2 works well in a pair for movie watching. Adding two more for surrounds is a no-brainer to me.
There is, however, one thing I wish Apple would either make itself or allow us to add to this system from a third-party manufacturer. That is, of course, a subwoofer.
Imagine a HomePod subwoofer. I already know the HomePod can produce impressively deep, rich bass for its size, but I really want a dedicated channel to take on home cinema duties – something that can really go to town with explosions and bass-heavy sci-fi sound effects.
Will Apple make one? Given that it's taken six years for it to launch a HomePod Mini 2, I highly doubt it; but what if Apple let us add a subwoofer from another company to its HomePod setup?
Admittedly, that's a very un-Apple move, but the company has recently partnered with LG to produce a range of smart home devices. LG also makes a modular, wireless subwoofer as part of its Sound Suite family of home audio devices, and we praised its "deep, powerful bass" in our review.
Adding an LG W7 subwoofer, or dare I say a Sonos Sub 4 or Sub Mini, to a HomePod system could be the answer here, although I suspect that Apple won't agree with me.
It's likely banking on the convenience and ease of plonking four HomePods in your living room and hooking them up seamlessly to your Apple TV 4K being enough. I doubt it wants you faffing around with a third-party app from a rival or having to look into extra connectivity options.
I also presume that adding compatibility for a third-party wireless soundbar is much easier said than done, so I'm really hoping Apple makes its own HomePod subwoofer if it does ever choose to go down this route.
Either way, I'm not holding my breath for now, but if Apple's quad HomePod system proves to be a success, then you never know what we might see further down the line.
MORE:
Read our full Apple HomePod 2 review
As well as our Apple TV 4K 2022 review
