Roku fanatics have been waiting for the official roll out of Roku 4 before the end of the year, confident that it will change yet again the landscape of video streaming which its predecessor devices did upon its launch.
However, it appears that Roku 4 is now officially up against serious competition following the launch of the new Apple TV on September 9.
The Apple TV was launched during the “One More Thing” event of the American tech giant that also highlighted the rollout of the company’s latest iPhones and iPads.
The new version of the Apple TV video-streaming box came with several noteworthy features including an iPhone-like app store, a new touch-enabled remote, the ability to simultaneously search for content across multiple video providers like HBO, Netflix and Hulu, and best of all, the Siri-powered voice recognition capabilities, details C/Net.
Taking the fight to Roku
After years of playing second fiddle to Roku, along with other contenders like Google and Amazon, Apple decided that it is time for its Apple TV to give the leaders a real no-nonsense challenge.
True enough, the new Apple TV did not disappoint. With an expected price tag of $149 to go with its great features, Apple is bound to capture a good piece of the market share of Roku even with the emergence of the Roku 4 before the end of the year.
If Apple TV’s Siri-powered voice recognition capabilities are indeed good as hyped, the Roku 4 and the other market competitors need to up their ante to be able to match it.
According to the estimates of Parks Associates, Roku had the No.1 selling streaming devices in the US last year, with a 34% market share.
Based on the first quarter 2015 survey results for American broadband households that owned a streaming device, 37% actually had Roku gadgets with Google Chromecast at a distant second with 19%. Apple TV is at 17% share while Amazon Fire TV brings up the fourth spot at 14%, notes the Day Herald.
It is possible that Apple TV can grab the second spot from Google Chromecast on the way to making a run at Roku.
Holding off the competition
But it appears that the tech company based in Saratoga, California is confident of being able to hold off the competition, notwithstanding the recently launched Apple TV.
In a recent interview, Roku CEO Anthony Wood says that it can certainly fend off the threats being posed by main rivals in the streaming devices market including Google, Apple, and Amazon.
While the company still holds an edge over its major market rivals, it will further build on its lead with the upcoming launching of the Roku 4
Roku 4 is expected to come out of the market with a price tag of $100 or maybe more, and as such it will be the most expensive streaming device in the market by the end of the year.
Although the company has been keeping things under wraps regarding the features of the Roku 4, rumors and speculations have already been swirling from as early as late last year about it.
Roku 4 will reportedly come out with 4K support, faster processing speeds and more memory at a minimum, which makes its retail price really worth it.
The company may have difficulty working on the price for Roku 4, but other companies in the market are also experiencing the same. The media streaming war has certainly taken on a new level which means good things for the consumers.
I don’t think Roku has anything to worry about.
First off, it’s doubtful anyone looking to upgrade their streaming boxes is willing to pay the steep fee of $150.
The other thing I feel that Apple has greatly overlooked is going to be the durability of the new Apple TV remote. I am interested to see results of it surviving rigorous drop testing, as well as replacement cost.
My current ATV remote has taken a beating, and I don’t think something as sensitive as the new iteration will survive a key trial: Kids.