The Roku line of devices is a pretty popular brand among TV fans, and even though other companies have started to catch up and have introduced their own competing products – including Apple, among other notable names – the Roku is still going strong and people are actively expecting the Roku 4 to arrive in the near future. Current rumors claim that the device should be out on the market by the end of the year, and it might even draw some fresh attention to the company if the claims about its specifications are true.
The Roku 4 is rumored to come with some pretty strong improvements to the overall formula, both on the hardware as well as the software side. Reports indicate that it will offer much better performance thanks to its improved design, while on the other hand the UI will be made easier to navigate and more streamlined, addressing a minor complaint about the previous Roku devices that some people used to have.
Some have actually been wondering about the implications of the UI changes, as the last Rokus were definitely not that bad in terms of usability and navigation, but the company might be planning some significant improvement that could completely change the way we see the navigation of these types of menus. After all, devices like the Roku are still in a relatively early stage and companies are still exploring what works and what doesn’t.
That includes Apple and other competitors as well, as all companies have been experimenting with different ideas for the hardware and software development of their devices, trying to figure out what actually works and what kinds of features their users are most interested in.
Of course, there is one universal “feature” that everyone always cares about, and that’s the price. There are currently rumors that the Roku 4 will actually be priced quite competitively, aiming to secure a significant portion of the market based on just the attractiveness of its price. Considering that Apple are pretty much the main competitor of the company right now, and that Apple aren’t known for cheap devices, this could make the situation quite interesting as it could definitely result in more attention in Roku’s direction.
The company does seem to be preparing for a major launch as they have been reevaluating the prices of their other devices recently, offering some of their previous models with various discounts. The Roku 1, 2 and 3 are currently priced very attractively and are still enjoying some attention from potential buyers.
However, it’s also worth noting that these devices will likely see no support in the future, especially after the Roku 4 comes out. Software updates will probably be focused on the Roku 4 entirely, and those who’re looking for a new TV device right now may want to wait a little longer if they’re interested in the Roku brand specifically. It doesn’t make much sense to buy something that will become obsolete in a few weeks, after all.
And that’s definitely the current outlook for the first three devices if the rumors about the development of the Roku 4 are true. We don’t know if the company is planning to make any special offers to owners of their previous devices but we don’t expect them to – after all, their primary focus would be the Roku 4 and they won’t have the capacity to pay significant attention to much else.