Apple is set to unveil the next generation Apple TV – complete with its own App Store – at WWDC in June this year, according to a report.
There have been frequent rumors of an update to Apple’s set-top box over the last couple of years, but we’ve got a feeling this time round could be the real deal. Sources “familiar with the company’s plans” gave Buzzfeed News the lowdown and it’s pretty juicy.
Apple TV, without an update since the third generation model was released in early 2012, looks set for a complete overhaul this summer. It’s expected to have a modest aesthetic update along with much beefier internals – taking advantage of the latest A8 chip and much more storage space than the 8GB available to existing Apple TV owners.
Sources say we can expect the new device to have support for Siri – an obvious progression for Apple, who are now competing with the myriad smart TVs and games consoles that include voice control. Coupled with HomeKit, this could lead to a lot of home automation potential. It might not be too long before we can ask Siri to dim the lights, turn the heating on and stick Game of Thrones on the TV – all from the comfort of the sofa.
According to the report we can also expect a fully-fledged App Store designed for Apple TV, plus the accompanying SDK for developers to start building bespoke apps for the big screen. With the upgraded processing power of a new machine this could mean we get to see games designed specifically for the TV – perhaps controlled by iPhone or an updated Apple Remote.
Apple are widely expected to announce their new TV streaming service this year and it would make sense to coincide the launch with a new Apple TV to watch all that content on. The Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is this June – stay tuned.