UPDATED 22:26 EDT / AUGUST 17 2015

NEWS

Report: new Apple TV to ship with iOS 9, Siri and app store support

Apple, Inc.’s newest incarnation of its Apple TV box will be running a version of Apple’s mobile operating system, complete with goodies previously only available on Apple’s range of mobile devices, a report claimed Monday.

Apple ubersite 9to5Mac quotes sources that claim that the new Apple TV will run a television optimized version of iOS 9 that will include voice commands alongside the introduction of Siri to the Apple TV for the very first time.

The version of Siri for Apple TV would be tweaked to focus on content discovery, including the ability to search apps such as those supporting Netflix, Inc. and others for specific searches such as movies or television shows an actor appears in, or even the ability to cross reference reviews with available content on apps installed on the device.

Support for voice will be integrated through a new larger remote for the Apple TV, which is said to also include touchpad and gesture control, along with Bluetooth and infrared support for backwards compatibility for AV equipment.

For the first time Apple TV is said to be getting access to the Apple App Store, although presumably a version customized for the device; this will likely be the most radical change for the new incarnation of the Apple TV as it will allow developers to design and make available (for free or otherwise) apps for the device, whereas previously the Apple TV platform has been for all intents and purposes a closed shop where Apple would occasionally make available new apps, but at their own leisure.

The inclusion of App Store support and a new remote also hints that gaming may finally come to the Apple TV, a long overdue addition that could turn a device that the late  Steve Jobs once described as a “hobby” into a far more appealing product to a broader market that wants more than just video streaming from the devices they plug into their televisions.

Hardware wise the Apple TV is said to be getting both an external and internal overhaul, with the outside of the box sporting a different plastic design, and the internals receiving a dual-core variant of the iPhone 6’s A8 chip along with 1GB of RAM, or possibly even 2GB, with 32GB of Flash memory thrown in for good measure.

The new version of the Apple TV is expected to be formally revealed at an Apple event September 9 along with the newest versions of Apple’s iPhone range.

Image credit: clanlife/Flickr/CC by 2.0


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