In the months leading up to Apple’s WWDC event this year, countless reports stated that a new Apple TV would debut at the event, alongside a new streaming TV service similar to Sling TV and Sony’s PlayStation Vue. Shortly before WWDC kicked off, those plans changed.
Now it seems that a new Apple TV will debut in September, according to a report from BuzzFeed. Many of the features announced earlier this year will indeed be present, and the product as a whole will be “more polished” according to BuzzFeed’s sources.
The chassis will be smaller than the current-generation Apple TV, and the system will be powered by Apple’s A8 system on a chip. The new touchpad-equipped remote we reported on earlier this year is said to be included as well. There is no word on whether the new remote will support Touch ID, though it doesn’t seem likely.
Not all the changes in the newest Apple TV relate to the hardware — software plays a significant role as well. Not only is Siri voice control support said to be built in, but a full-fledged App Store will be present as well. And it was further was confirmed that the Apple TV would serve as the hub for HomeKit.
If you’re familiar with Apple’s product announcements, you probably know that September is a month usually reserved for the announcement of new iPhones. Nobody is expecting Apple to break from tradition here, so if the new Apple TV is announced in September, it will likely have to share stage time. This makes it seem like the Apple TV initially was supposed to debut at WWDC, but Apple decided to devote some more time to developing the new box.
One thing that won’t likely be making an appearance at the September event is Apple’s long-awaited subscription Internet TV service. Problems with licensing deals have plagued every company that has tried its hand at one of these services, and it seems things are no different for Apple. “Late this year — maybe, but more likely next year,” said one of BuzzFeed’s sources.
