What will Apple TV 2 look like?
Update: Apple's event is coming up on September 9 and we're expecting the new Apple TV to be making an appearance. Below, we dive into the new features that are rumored to be making their arrival with Apple's next set-top box.
Original story follows:
In the battle royale of set-top boxes that has erupted over the last few years, there's always been one contender who's not afraid to quietly sit on the sidelines and garner attention by being inclusive, sleek and to-the-point, and that's Apple TV.
Now, before you go down into the comments and leave a nasty retort, we know that Apple TV 2 - technically a moniker for the second version of Apple TV - has come and gone.
But Apple bows to no numerical and/or logic system, and Apple TV has yet to see a true sequel, instead receiving iteration after iteration of internal upgrades.
It's been about two years since the last minor change to the system and three since the last major one. Which, for a company that's bound and determined to release a new iPhone every 12 months, seems a little strange that Apple's popular streamer has been MIA since the iPhone 5.
So what's the hold-up? Why hasn't Apple launched a stick to fight the Amazon Fire TV Stick or Roku Streaming Stick? Why hasn't it taken the fight to Roku 3 and Nexus Player by launching a new set-top box based on iOS 8?
Honestly? It's just a matter of time. There are a ton of possibilities with Apple's next streaming system. From a small stick to a 4K streamer, from a TV service like Sling TV to a 40-inch TV, anything and everything is on the table for the future of Apple's must-own A/V accessory.
What is it? The next generation of Apple's set-top box, the Apple TV
When is it out? We don't know. Apple hasn't set a release date, or shown it publicly.
Apple TV (fourth generation)
Update: WWDC 2015 came and went without an Apple TV announcement. Disappointing as that was, we're gearing up for Apple TV announcements at Apple's September 9 event. It's not all wishful thinking, rumors of Apple's next set-top box are boiling and we're hearing something new quite frequently.
Most recently, we've heard that the new Apple TV will have a completely refreshed user interface and access to the App Store. Also, we've been hearing that it will also include an updated remote control (goodbye, boring aluminum IR remote) that operates over Bluetooth and features a mix of physical buttons and a touchpad.
Inside the remote, Apple looks to be packing in some motion sensors, which would make playing games on the App Store that require tilt easy. Speaking of Bluetooth, we've heard whispers that you might be able to connect any console-style controller made for iOS to the Apple TV if the new remote doesn't do it for you.
We've also heard that it will feature an internal microphone so you can chat with Siri. Yep, Siri is expected to make its couchside debut and we're hearing that the new Apple TV might be fully operable just with your voice.
Next up, live programming. The inclusion of live television in the next iteration of Apple TV has long been rumored. After a series of bumps in the road, it looks like Apple has figured out a way to secure the rights to broadcast local content wherever viewers might be. This feature is likely to be coming, but it could still miss the Apple TV announcement on September 9.
We're pretty smitten with the current price of the Apple TV, but we've heard reports that the new model could be two to three times that amount, as high as $199. With all the newfangled features that are rumored to come to Apple's new set-top box, do you think it will be worth it?
Apple TV (streaming service)
We'd give 2:1 odds that, like its last three iterations, Apple TV 2 is going to be a set-top box. If you're more of a gambler however, we'd say the chances Apple's got an ace up its sleeve in the form of a streaming service are about 10:1.
This possible-but-not-probable scenario was first given life on the web around the same time Sling TV made a splash in the US. The only problem with this plan is that Apple would need a lot of partners - FOX, NBC, ABC, Viacom, etc… - within a short time period.
Possible? Sure. Probable? Not likely.
The potential package in question would have a number of channels you know and love from cable but streamed over your Internet service for a lower monthly cost than traditional vendors like Sky, Virgin, Verizon or Time Warner Cable.
A service like that, exclusive to Apple TV, could be a huge differentiator and killer app for Cupertino. Whether Apple's TV streaming dreams come to fruition - or actually exist at all - however, remains to be seen.
Apple pulls the plug on TV
After 10 years of research and development, Apple has officially stopped working on the fabled Apple television set, according to The Wall Street Journal.
According to a source familiar to the situation, because it was unable to add anything new to the world of flat-panels and 4K Ultra-HD TVs, Apple has thrown in the towel once and for all.
Apple is still expected to release both an updated version of the traditional set-top box as well as an over-the-top streaming service like Sling TV at its World Wide Developers Conference which starts on June 8.
How could have Apple's iTV worked? We have a few ideas.
The history of Apple TV
The history of Apple TV
The first Apple TV launched back in 2006 and stuck out from the crowd by boasting its own hard drive and composite cables to hook up to then-new SD TV sets. It had a measly Intel Crofton Premium M processor and 256MB of DDR2 memory.
Version 2 ditched the internal storage for a better 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi antenna, upgraded Apple A4 processor and favored streaming media over anything stored on physical drives. While some lamented the disappearance of a HDD, some appreciated the Apple TV's smaller size as a result of the change.
Launching in 2012, Apple TV Version 3, the latest version of the Apple TV, didn't offer much of an upgrade over its predecessor. It still streamed media and had a streamlined user-interface based on iOS (at that time it was iOS7). Of course the processor got a bump to the A5 to handle 1080p video and it finally doubled down on RAM to a solid 512MB.
Starting on March 9, 2015, the currently available Apple TV will drop to $69 (about £45, AU$90) and has first-dibs on HBO's new standalone streaming service, HBO Now.
- What about Apple's screen for your wrist? Read our Apple Watch review!
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