It’s time for the Apple TV 4K to change its name too

In case you missed it, Apple TV+ shed the plus sign and changed its name to just Apple TV. On the surface, that’s a fine change, and it’s always nice to simplify things when you can. The only problem with this name change is now the fact that Apple’s flagship service shares its name with a streaming device and an app. There are three things in the Apple ecosystem that have the same name, and that’s an unforced error in my eyes.

There’s no reason to make potential subscribers more confused if you don’t have to. It’s already hard enough to explain the difference between Apple TV+ and the Apple TV 4K as it is, and now it’s gotten even more difficult. I also found it odd that when the Apple TV app came to Android devices, it didn’t come with Apple TV+ as an option. Now, it’s even weirder because my Apple TV app doesn’t have Apple TV.

Apple TV has a naming problem

We can’t go on like this

There’s nothing more frustrating than having to explain a confusing name to somebody. Luckily, that doesn’t happen very often in my personal life, as nobody I know cares about my Apple TV as much as I do. However, I can easily imagine the difficulty in explaining the difference between the Apple TV device and the Apple TV streaming app to somebody who is looking to learn more. There’s no reason for the pair to share a name, and while Apple might feel like it’s a good idea, I can’t agree.

The Apple TV 4K is my favorite streaming device, so it’s a shame to see it potentially struggle because of a name change. It has me thinking that the actual Apple TV device needs to change its name to something more consumer-friendly. I wouldn’t consider myself the most creative person in the world when it comes to naming things like this, but I think a basic name like Apple Box or Apple Stick for a streaming stick would go a long way in making this more easily distinguishable from the rest of the Apple lineup.

If you look at other companies, you’ll notice naming schemes like the Roku Streaming Stick or Amazon Fire TV Stick. There’s no way to get confused there because it has what the product is in the name itself. On top of that, The Roku Channel is a distinct name that lets viewers know it’s a service instead of a device. There’s no such luck for Apple TV. The app and the device share the same name, making this a problem unique to Apple.

It feels like there’s an easy fix here, and companies are no strangers to walking back bad name changes. A prominent example is HBO’s decision to drop the HBO name from HBO Max before switching back to it. It’s important for companies to be open to criticism because of shifts like this, but I don’t know if Apple is one of those companies. Interestingly enough, the Apple TV is one of the only areas where the name doesn’t make sense. Everybody knows the iPhone is a phone and the iPad is a tablet, so why can’t that translate to the Apple TV being a streaming device?

Apple TV will have a hard time growing like this

Something has to give

Apple has a clear advantage over many companies thanks to its sheer brand recognition. Almost everybody knows what Apple is, but what they might not know is that Apple makes a streaming device. It’s no secret that Apple TV, the streaming service, has had a difficult time growing even with hit shows like Succession and Ted Lasso. All the awards in the world struggle to help the streaming service rival the likes of something like Netflix.

It’s not going to be easier to find an audience when you share your streaming service’s name with a device. If Apple can abruptly change the name of a service with a simple line buried at the bottom of a press release, I don’t see why it can’t be done with the Apple TV 4K. Rumors of a new model continue to swirl, and I think it would be a great time to introduce a change. If the new model has an upgraded processor that gives it more gaming capabilities, it might be beneficial to drop the TV moniker entirely and position it as a powerful box instead of just a streaming device.