The Apple TV has been been here for three and a half years and no update was adopted. In that time, the Apple TV has lost market share to other streaming devices such as Roku and Chromecast.
Moreover, the ecosystem and interface of the Apple TV are starting to feel stale and out of place.
Apple is going to change all that on 9 September 2015. Apple is finally going to unveil a new Apple TV, replete with updated interface, better hardware, game support, support for Siri and maybe even gestures.
The amount of rumors and leaks coming out about the Apple TV suggests this will be one of the biggest areas Apple focuses on, after the iPhone.
The new Apple TV is expected to have an A8 processor (the same as what's inside the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus). This is a big deal because it means that it will be able to run real apps. And because the Apple TV is powered by a wall socket and not a battery, it has the ability to use that power in even more ways.
Games and Apps
In addition to the processor, Apple is reportedly finally ready to open up the Apple TV up to other developers — namely, game developers.
Apple's new Twitter account for games suggests a growing focus on gaming. When it comes to mobile gaming, iOS is king.
Taking that experience and bringing it to the TV — if done correctly — could be a big deal. Yes, Google, Amazon and Ouya have tried to bring mobile games to the big screen — and have largely failed — but past failures of its competitors have never stopped Apple before.
Gaming on the Apple TV is something game developers have wanted for a long time and with beefy hardware, the Apple TV could do double-duty as a casual console.
On that level, everyone is expecting Apple to announce some form of controller for the Apple TV — whether stand-alone or an evolution of the controllers that already exist for the iPhone.
Siri and Gestures
Apple is adding Siri to everything these days. It just makes sense that it come to the Apple TV. Siri will reportedly play a big role in how to navigate around the Apple TV.
Talking to the Apple TV — whether it's through a remote, your phone (or Apple Watch) or just yelling at the TV — can bring up apps, games or content.
It is expected that this kind of Siri integration to play a role in HomeKit as that continues to get rolled out.
In addition to voice controls via Siri, the Apple TV remote is rumored to support gestures, similar to the gyroscope in the iPhone. The idea could be that twisting the remote a certain way could fast-forward or rewind.
Pricing
The new Apple TV isn't expected to compete with the sub-US$ 50 pricing of the Chromecast for FireTV stick. Instead, Apple is expected to launch the Apple TV for US$ 149. This could be pricey for some — but if it includes voice search, an A8 processor, gesture-driven controls and game support — it could be worth it.
TV Service
Nobody is expecting Apple to unveil its long-rumored streaming bundle at the 9 September event. It's an open secret that Apple is courting big content makers to put together a Sling TV-like bundle of subscription video content.
But negotiating for those contracts is hard work. The idea will likely be that once the i's are dotted and t's are crossed, Apple will hold a separate event launching its new subscription service.
Moreover, the ecosystem and interface of the Apple TV are starting to feel stale and out of place.
Apple is going to change all that on 9 September 2015. Apple is finally going to unveil a new Apple TV, replete with updated interface, better hardware, game support, support for Siri and maybe even gestures.
The amount of rumors and leaks coming out about the Apple TV suggests this will be one of the biggest areas Apple focuses on, after the iPhone.
The new Apple TV is expected to have an A8 processor (the same as what's inside the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus). This is a big deal because it means that it will be able to run real apps. And because the Apple TV is powered by a wall socket and not a battery, it has the ability to use that power in even more ways.
Games and Apps
In addition to the processor, Apple is reportedly finally ready to open up the Apple TV up to other developers — namely, game developers.
Apple's new Twitter account for games suggests a growing focus on gaming. When it comes to mobile gaming, iOS is king.
Taking that experience and bringing it to the TV — if done correctly — could be a big deal. Yes, Google, Amazon and Ouya have tried to bring mobile games to the big screen — and have largely failed — but past failures of its competitors have never stopped Apple before.
Gaming on the Apple TV is something game developers have wanted for a long time and with beefy hardware, the Apple TV could do double-duty as a casual console.
On that level, everyone is expecting Apple to announce some form of controller for the Apple TV — whether stand-alone or an evolution of the controllers that already exist for the iPhone.
Siri and Gestures
Apple is adding Siri to everything these days. It just makes sense that it come to the Apple TV. Siri will reportedly play a big role in how to navigate around the Apple TV.
Talking to the Apple TV — whether it's through a remote, your phone (or Apple Watch) or just yelling at the TV — can bring up apps, games or content.
It is expected that this kind of Siri integration to play a role in HomeKit as that continues to get rolled out.
In addition to voice controls via Siri, the Apple TV remote is rumored to support gestures, similar to the gyroscope in the iPhone. The idea could be that twisting the remote a certain way could fast-forward or rewind.
Pricing
The new Apple TV isn't expected to compete with the sub-US$ 50 pricing of the Chromecast for FireTV stick. Instead, Apple is expected to launch the Apple TV for US$ 149. This could be pricey for some — but if it includes voice search, an A8 processor, gesture-driven controls and game support — it could be worth it.
TV Service
Nobody is expecting Apple to unveil its long-rumored streaming bundle at the 9 September event. It's an open secret that Apple is courting big content makers to put together a Sling TV-like bundle of subscription video content.
But negotiating for those contracts is hard work. The idea will likely be that once the i's are dotted and t's are crossed, Apple will hold a separate event launching its new subscription service.
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