August 10, 2015 3:20 PM PDT / Updated: August 27, 2015 7:39 AM PDT
Gentlemen and women, restart your Apple TV rumor engines.
After a no-show at the World Wide Developer's Conference (WWDC) in June, the next generation of Apple's venerable streaming box is once again said to be coming soon. For realsies this time!
Scuttlebutt now places the new Apple TV announcement on September 9, at the same event where Apple will reportedly announce this year's new iPhones and iPads.
As usual Apple itself isn't commenting on what exactly it will announce, but it did send an official invite to the September 9 event (left). Unlike the WWCD invitation with its Apple TV-shaped shadow, this one (for what it's worth) contains no obvious references to a new TV device. Unless that white cat's eye shape is the new remote?
Meanwhile there have been plenty of reports this year about the new Apple TV box, and the new Internet-delivered television service. The latest on the service is that it won't launch alongside the box--difficulties in content negotiations have pushed it back to 2016, reportedly--but anything can happen.
Until we get official word from Apple, these reports provide the clearest picture available of the company's TV plans, absent an actual TV. Stay tuned.
A version of this story was originally posted on May 7, 2015, and has been updated extensively with additional information since then.
The box: New innards, iOS9 for TV, a real app store, no 4K
Although it's an excellent streamer, the current Apple TV has been selling since 2012 with no major hardware upgrades. Articles speculating on how it could be improved are nothing new, but what is new is the specificity of the leaks, er, "reports."
One of the most prominent reports came from Buzzfeed on July 30, which cited "sources familiar with Apple's plans" in pegging September 9 as the probable date of the event. It reiterated previous reports of the new Apple TV's capabilities.
"Sources say the device will feature a refreshed and slimmer chassis and new innards, Apple's A8 system on chip, an increase in on-board storage, and an improved operating system that will support Siri voice control. Expected alongside it, a new remote that sources say has been 'drastically improved' by a touch-pad input and a long-in-the-offing App Store." -- Buzzfeed
On August 17 a lengthy report appeared on 9to5mac, citing "sources" with a few new details about the box. Reportedly code-named J34, the new Apple TV is said to run a TV-optimized version of iOS9, the company's mobile operating system for phones and tablets. In addition to a refreshed, more iOS-like interface, a big component is the dedicated app store.
"Third-party applications support plus a full Software Development Kit for the Apple TV will be two tentpoles of the new device. This means that developers, just like with the iPhone and iPad, will be able to build apps for the Apple TV. These applications will likely be able to be downloaded via a dedicated App Store accessible via the new Apple TV." -- 9to5mac
Third-party development won't be quite the bonanza that the iPhone was--the report says the initial focus has been on video-centric apps that allow media companies to release new channels on the device--but since it's Apple, but it could still bring some cool new apps, and likely plenty of games too.
Unlike the Nvidia Shield, a $200 Android TV device, the new Apple TV box will reportedly not support 4K streaming, which is currently available from Netflix, Amazon and others. "4K is great, but it's still in its infancy," said one source in an April 5 Buzzfeed report. The lack of 4K content, the costs associated with streaming 4K, and the small number of households capable of enjoying 4K today were cited as the major reasons for the omission.
Apple's "drastically improved" new touchpad-equipped remote will reportedly have just two physical buttons. The new clicker will be thicker than the current version, comparable in size to the Amazon Echo remote. These details first appeared May 9 in The New York Times, attributed to "an employee briefed on the product, who spoke on the condition of anonymity."
The 9to5mac report adds that the new clicker will offer gesture support as well as both Bluetooth and infrared connectivity, similar to current remotes used by Samsung and LG TVs. The idea is to allow the clicker to control legacy AV equipment in addition to the box. The report also mentions audio capability on the remote, which could mean a small speaker, a mic for Siri control, and/or "private listening via a headphone jack, similar to some Roku remotes. This last feature could also be offered via Bluetooth headphones, a la Amazon Fire TV.
It's also safe to assume that the new Apple TV will offer all the capabilities of the current box. They include excellent app support in general, including HBO Now and Showtime. On the other hand, it does lack native apps for Amazon Instant Video, Sling TV, Plex, Google Play Movies and TV, Vudu, Flixster, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music and Google Music, among others.
Many of those app omissions can be remedied by using Apple's excellent AirPlay feature, which lets nearly all audio apps and some video apps stream from an iPad or iPhone to the TV. It's also possible that Apple will finally allow those apps to appear natively on the platform -- after all, most are already available as iOS apps for Apple phones and tablets.
We also expect the connectivity of the old and new Apple TV to be very similar, including a single HDMI output, Bluetooth and an Ethernet port. Possible improvements include the latest dual-band 802.11 (ac) Wi-Fi and the same kind of captive portal support offered by Fire TV-- call it AirPortHotel.
Box unknowns: Price, storage, HomeKit, gaming, interface and search
The price of the new box is anybody's guess. Given the current box's price cut to $69 in the US, we're leaning toward a $99 price to best compete with the Roku 3, Amazon Fire TV and Google Nexus Player.
There's also the distinct possibility of tiered pricing for different levels of storage, much like Apple does with its iPhones and iPads. More storage means more room for bigger apps and games, as well as the potential to download movies and TV shows for offline playback (the tiny puck travels well).
The current Apple TV has 8GB of onboard flash storage, but with the introduction on an app store the new model should at least double that. It's easy to imagine a base 16GB version of the Apple TV for $99, a 32GB version for $199 and a 128GB version for $299, for example.
Given Apple's track record, we don't expect the option to add additional storage, for example via USB or SD card. Devices that allow such expansion today include the Amazon Fire TV box and the Nvidia Shield.
HomeKit is Apple's entrance into the booming smart-home market, and it's widely expected that the new Apple TV will serve as a hub for the system. Apple talked briefly about the platform at WWDC, where Senior VP of Software Engineering Craig Federighi offered examples of categories that HomeKit will support, including automated window shades, carbon monoxide sensors and motion detectors.
In June the first HomeKit devices began to arrive in the US. They include a $230 HomeKit-friendly lighting control kit from Lutron and a new connected home hub made by Insteon that sells for $150. Others are following soon.
Other HomeKit news includes announcements by Broadcom on May 12 and GE on May 4 that their Bluetooth-Wi-Fi chips and LED smart lighting, respectively, have passed Apple's HomeKit certification process.
According to The Verge and CNET, who spoke with HomeKit device makers at CES 2015, an Apple TV will be required to use only one feature of the platform: Siri. So the box will provide a HomeKit hub for voice control at the very least.
One addition long deemed a no-brainer addition for Apple TV is gaming support. Apple is already one of the most important gaming companies in the world, with companies like EA receiving massive revenue from Apple iOS's platform. A bunch of iOS-ready game controllers are already available, allowing better control of iPad and iPhone games. The new touchpad remote could also greatly aid gaming control. It's not a stretch to think the "full app store" would include numerous games.
The Apple TV interface seems outdated next to competitors. As we mentioned earlier, reports say the new box will feature a fresher look that more closely mimics iOS9, although the general aesthetic won't be a radical change.
We envision Apple trying to get as close as possible to the feel of using an iPhone on your TV, complete with a customizeable, app-heavy home screen (or screens?), swipe motions, taps (Force Touch, perhaps?) and maybe an up-swipe from the bottom to access settings. The key is the touchpad remote, which would allow these kinds of phone-like interactions without having to take your eyes off the TV screen.
Then again maybe Apple will do something very different. In an August 7 interview with Wired, Apple Music guru Jimmy Iovine cited the concept of curation as integral to improving the TV experience. The quote below seems to reference the TV service more than the box itself, but you never know.
"That [TV] box helps you none -- it doesn't help. You're on your own. And eventually that will catch them unless somebody digs in and really helps the customer. And entertainment needs that, it needs to live and breathe." -- Jimmy Iovine
The 9to5mac report speculated that Apple could add the more powerful "Proactive" search found in iOS9, which could finally deliver Roku-like cross-platform search to Apple TV. The report did caution that integration of new search features might be put on hold until more third-party apps appear on the platform.
Whether the new interface pushes Apple's iTunes movies and TV shows over third-party providers like Netflix remains to be seen. If its Proactive hits multiple apps, ideally results would be delivered with the same level of transparency and service choice as Roku (above). That customer-friendly interface is a big reason we awarded the new Roku 2 our Editors' Choice as the best media streamer.
The TV service: Unlikely to arrive until 2016
The long-rumored Apple TV service is said to be similar to Sling TV and PlayStation Vue, offering a selection of live TV channels streamed over the Internet without requiring a cable TV subscription. It's said to cost about $40 per month.
But negotiations have proven difficult, even for a company with as much clout as Apple. When Recode correctly predicted days before WWDC that the service would be delayed, the reason was that Apple couldn't finalize the licensing deals in time.
"Industry executives predict Apple's Web TV offering may not launch until later this year, or in 2016. Technology and money issues remain sticking points." -- Recode
An August 13 Bloomberg article reiterated the delay, citing "people familiar with Apple's plans" to say that Apple is now aiming for a 2016 launch of the service. It mentioned another reason for the delay as well: Apple reportedly doesn't have enough network capacity yet to reliably deliver nationwide Internet TV service.
When it finally launches, Apple's TV service reportedly will include programming from local broadcast stations around the country, a key differentiator from Sling and PlayStation Vue. Sling is strictly national, with no local content at all, while access to Vue is restricted to a handful of cities in the US.
"Apple TV is trying to change the universe a bit," said CBS Chief Executive Les Moonves in May at the Code Conference (Disclosure: CBS is the parent company of CNET). Moonves was also clear about what it would take for his channels to show up on Apple's service: "Money," he said.
So when it does arrive, what channels will it offer? A Wall Street Journal way back on March 16mentioned a package of about 25 channels including major networks ABC, CBS and Fox. It would be available on all devices running Apple's iOS operating system, including the Apple TV.
The report did not reveal an expected cost for the service but did note that some media executives pegged Apple's service at about $30 to $40 a month. On May 11, an analyst from Pacific Crest Securities estimated a cost of $40 to $50 "for a medium-sized base package" from Apple. The August 13 Bloomberg report reiterated a target cost of $40 per month. Sling TV starts at $20 per month, while PlayStation Vue starts at $50 per month.
Further details have emerged. A Recode report says Apple is asking content providers to pay for the streaming infrastructure required to deliver the service. Discovery and Viacom are in talks with Apple as well, and Time Warner's CEO expressed confidence the service would launch soon. CEO Les Moonves said CBS would probably join Apple's stable of channels as well.
Service unknowns: Packages, regional sports, DVR
Of course lot can change between now and 2016. The exact channel lineup remains a mystery, as does how they'll be packaged.
Perhaps Apple will allow relatively small, cheap "add-on" packages as Sling does, or maybe it will pursue larger, more expensive bundles as Sony's Vue has done. Regional sports, the crown jewels of cable, are another open question. The main reason Vue is only available in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia, and San Francisco Bay Area is that it offers regional sports networks in those areas.
Another question is whether Apple will allow the same kind of cloud DVR functionality delivered by Vue. One major issue with Sling TV is that it's "live only," so most channels don't allow you to pause, rewind or skip commercials, and there's no way to save ("time shift") shows to watch later. Vue allows full DVR functionality, saving shows you select to the cloud so you can watch them later. It also lets you skip commercials, just like a standard DVR.
We're also curious whether Apple's service will be subject to the one-stream-at-a-time rule like Sling TV, how it will integrate on-demand movies and TV shows from TV providers, how it works with authentication apps like Watch ESPN and FX Now, and how it deals with bandwidth caps.
It's also possible cloud DVR functions or other processor-intensive features (like gaming) could be reserved for the new, more powerful Apple TV, leaving the older box with a more stripped-down, and perhaps less-expensive, version of the TV service.
That about sums up what we know, and what we guess, about Apple's hardware and service plans for TV. We'll keep this article updated throughout the year.
Updated August 27th with official invite to the September 9th event.
Updated August 19 with discussion of storage and pricing tiers and the iPhone-like interface.
Updated August 18 with 9to5mac report on iOS9 similarities and Bloomberg report on 2016 service delay.
Updated August 9 with Buzzfeed September 9 date, and Wired Eddie Cue interview.
Updated June 18 with post-WWDC information.
Updated June 2 with follow-upApple TV service delay report from Recode, CBS statement from Les Moonves, and HomeKit device news.
Updated May 22 with Apple TV service delay report from Recode.
Updated May 15 with HomeKit statement from Apple.
Updated May 13 to mention Broadcom, GE, and Pacific Crest Securities news.
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