While the majority of people are most interested in seeing the reveal of the iPhone 6S during Apple’s September 9th event, there is expected to be another big unveiling during the show, with a revamped Apple TV reportedly set to be debuted.
Apple TV was one of very few failed experiments the company has made in recent years, as while they continue to either dominate or at least pull in big sales numbers in their mobile, tablet, wearable and desktop/laptop divisions, Apple TV fell behind its competitors and was widely regarded as being an underwhelming alternative to cable, as opposed to the cable-beater it was originally touted as back in its 2007 reveal. While Apple are keen to release incremental, annual updates of their hardware, we haven’t seen a new model of the Apple TV since 2012, which is telling in regards to how much effort Apple has put into getting it back on its feet.
But all hope is not lost. With the Apple event set to announce a brand new iPhone, there will undoubtedly be a lot of eyes on Apple and those eyes will get to see the new Apple TV. While the likes of Roku, Amazon and Google have already made strong ground in delivering Internet-connected TV devices to the households of consumers, Apple have a lot of sway in the technology world as evidenced by their exclusivity deal with HBO, with the world-renowned broadcaster bringing its HBO Go app exclusively to Apple devices such as the iPhone, iPad and the old Apple TV. This was a major boon for Apple, and had the Apple TV been more widely known or had greater support from the company, it could’ve proved to be a major scoop for the device. However, it will certainly serve as a big selling point going into Apple’s next event, along with a few other reported features that the device is likely going to boast.
Here are the features that have been rumored so far:
Gaming on the Apple TV
Apple has set up a dedicated Twitter account for gaming on iOS ahead of the September 9th event, which suggests that gaming will be a big part of what the Apple TV has to offer. The account is run by App Store editors, and will be solely devoted to highlighting games available on the App Store, along with showing preview clips of upcoming games.
Amazon already made a move into their territory with its Fire TV, with users able to purchase a separate controller that allowed them to play games purchased through the device. However, with Apple having a meatier selection of games to choose from, and with it being alleged that there is already rumblings regarding developers being keen to create more that can be played specifically using a big screen, the Apple TV should rightly trounce Amazon in this department. With most doing their mobile gaming on their mobiles and their console gaming on their consoles, it remains to be seen whether the Apple TV can find that as-yet-undiscovered middle ground, but if anyone can do it we can safely put our money on it being the company that that confidently sold a $10,000 smartwatch.
High Pricing
There have been multiple reports swirling around regarding the Apple TV’s pricing, with a figure of $149 being the most widely believed at this moment in time, according to BuzzFeed. However, there have also been suggestions from trusted Apple-centric site 9to5Mac that $149 could actually be the device’s starting price, with it costing that much for an 8GB model but $199 for a 16GB model. This begs the question – what would an Apple TV device need 16GB of storage for?
Assuming that Apple doesn’t expect users to clog up their devices with nothing more than games, which seems like a stretch considering the iOS games featured on the App Store don’t exactly take up much memory, and with it acting as a conduit for the streaming of filming and TV, meaning little data will actually be stored on the device itself, this suggests that Apple TV needs room for some big features. Big features would justify its comparatively high price tag – even its low-end $149 model would represent a massive jump from its previous $69 retail model – so unless Apple wants to start a revolt in which consumers ask exactly why they’re charging nearly $200 when you can buy a Roku 2 for $70, they’ll likely be packing the Apple TV with plenty of unique features.
Universal Search and Siri
Universal search will potentially be the most inveigling feature for those accustomed to scrolling through each individual streaming service on their Fire TV to find something they want to watch. It will allow users to access a database of all content from all of the services they’re subscribed to, effectively creating a massive library that will significantly decrease the amount of time you spend idly browsing Netflix, before switching over to Amazon Instant Video when you can’t find anything.
This will then be made even easier with the expected inclusion of Siri, Apple’s famed virtual assistant that will allow you to browse through your selection of TV shows and films using its voice recognition technology.
All-in-all Apple TV certainly has a mountain to climb if it wants to invade the domain of the likes of Roku, Amazon and Google, but Apple’s considerable pedigree will undoubtedly ensure that it will be an attractive option to the many who trust the tech company to produce premium products. We’ll find out whether or not it looks like that will be the case during the company’s September 9th event.
