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According to anonymous sources familiar with the matter, Apple Inc. plans to unveil a revamped version of its interactive TV box in June at the World Wide Developers Conference. Apple TV hasn’t been upgraded since 2012, yet Apple is set to change radically the TV viewing experience.
The tech giant’s defunct founder has been complaining for years that the current TV experience is lackluster and stuck into a 70s mentality. As a result, the company envisioned a new set-top box with interactive features that would push television into the 21st century. Last year, Eduardo “Eddy” Cue, Apple’s vice president for the Internet Software and Services division, bluntly said the actual TV experience “sucks.”
Steve Jobs, long before his death, announced his plans of revolutionizing television with an interactive TV-set, which will be designed to provide its users with a TV experience far superior even to the TiVo. But, this year it seems that all those plans are finally becoming reality.
Earlier this week, two announcements convinced us that Apple is set to take the TV experience by storm very soon. There are rumors that the company will finally release its subscription online TV service, which has been under development for nearly six years.
The online television service would have about 25 channels broadcasted by CBS, ABC and Fox, but Apple is still negotiating this aspect until fall. The channels will be available on most Apple devices including its Apple TV, sources claim.
Additionally, undisclosed sources say that a revamped Apple TV set-top box will enter the market in a few months, but not before the World Wide Developers Conference in June. It seems that during that conference, Apple will try and convince developers to adopt and populate the TV set with innovative apps. For this purpose, the company will offer developers a software development kit and unhindered access to an App Store.
Sources claim that the upgraded Apple TV is actually a brand new type of device that will help Apple’s vision on how TV experience should be become reality. The new box is expected to blast the competition, including Roku and Amazon, which failed to bring innovation to their TV set boxes.
Additionally, the revamped Apple TV top-set box was not just built for the sake of streaming TV, but for the users’ viewing experience and convenience. The new TV box will stream TV, music, manage apps, and even take one step closer to home automation.
Sources also disclosed that the new device will have a superior design and will be based on a recent version of Apple’s A8 64-bit ARM-based system on a chip (SOC). Moreover, it will come with extra storage space to support the new apps because the current 8 GB won’t be enough, sources say.
Furthermore, Apple TV’s successor will be powered by an updated operating system that will include Siri voice control, which will allow users remotely access devices that are connected to the internet of things. Probably the new box will also have a redesigned remote.
However, there’s no information on the price, but the “old” Apple TV currently sells for $69 rather than $99 on Apple’s website.
Germaine Hicks
Germaine is an avid sports fan and as such, he decided on his current career path with the idea in mind that he would never, ever miss a Yankee game. Until now, he managed to make good on that promise. As you’ve probably guessed, he’s our go-to sports guy.
