At a jam packed event today, Apple has introduced the long awaited new Apple TV. The new device comes with an all new remote featuring a touchpad, built-in microphone for Siri voice control, and motion support for gaming. This new Apple TV is much more powerful than it’s predecessor with a 64-bit A8 processor, as well as 802.12ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0. The new device will launch in late October and run $149 for 32GB and $199 for 64GB of internal storage.
Not announced with the new Apple TV was Apple’s rumored TV subscription service. Instead the focus was on apps, with Apple’s CEO Tim Cook stating at the start of the Apple TV presentation that “the future of TV is apps.” With this new Apple TV comes, for the first time, a true app store for both Apple and third-party developers to expand the Apple TV’s software ecosystem. Already onboard are the big names you’d expect like Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Now, but it’s the treasure trove of apps in the iOS appstore that give the new Apple TV the potential for redefining the TV experience. As with any new Apple device, there will be a land grab by developers to stake their place on top of the popular app list. We can expect to see popular smartphone and tablet apps create TV interfaces for the first time due to this new Apple TV, which is good for the Fire TV as well.
While it has received a lot of polish, the main Apple TV interface hasn’t deviated much from being a grid of apps and content. This is likely due to Siri voice support being the other main focus of the new device, which, in a way, is the true interface for the device. You can launch apps using Siri and use the voice assistant to find the content you’re looking to watch. Not only can you call up movies and shows by name, but you can also see more specific content like bringing up a particular episode by simply asking for the episode of a show with a particular guest star, for example. Much like with the Fire TV’s voice search, the new Apple TV Siri search only works with a small selection of cooperating video services, which include iTunes, Netflix, HBO, and Showtime. In addition to search, Siri on the Apple TV brings along many of its iPhone features like the ability to display sports scores and weather.
The all new Apple TV remote features a touchpad where you would expect to find a traditional up/down/left/right directional set of buttons. This allows you to swipe through large lists quickly instead of tapping a directional button repeatedly. Swiping to navigate lists is superior to holding down a directional button because you can control how fast you go through the list by varying the speed at which you swipe. Unlike holding down a button, this allows you to move quickly or slowly through a list.
The remote connects to the Apple TV via Bluetooth, just like the Fire TV and Fire TV Stick remotes. However, unlike Amazon’s remotes, the Apple TV remote includes IR capabilities and volume buttons in order to control your TVs volume. A very nice touch I hope we see on the next generation Fire TV. The remote cannot change your TV’s power state or input, but the Apple TV can control those aspects through HDMI-CEC, much like the Fire TV, if your TV supports the feature.
Gaming was a big focus of the announcement event, however Apple will not be producing a first-party game controller like the one offered by Amazon. Instead the Apple TV supports MFi-based controllers and will rely on 3rd party controllers for serious gamers. The Apple TV remote does include motion control, akin to the Wii remote, and along with the included touchpad, will serve as good starting point for casual gaming.
As mentioned already, you’ll be able to pick up the new device starting at $149 in October for the 32GB model, or $199 for the 64GB model. The increased storage will be mostly useful for those planning to install many apps, and in particular higher end games. Apple will continue to offer the existing Apple TV for $69.
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little typo “or $199 for the 6GB model” ~~~> 64GB ;-)
Thanks. I’ve fixed it. :-)
Amazing features…..too bad Fire TV owners have had them for the last 1 1/2 years. Better late than never I guess.
Can’t wait for new firetv!
So, you are impressed that the remote has IR but not the STB? WHat, going to watch Netflix using the TV speakers?
Meh, worthless as far as I am concerned unless it can control AVRs volume as well.
Ill bet if you polled aftv users that frequent this site and xda youd find around 90% use kodi and a smaller group use Plex.So this product might be a winner but I wont be buying one. Storage is important but non expandable storage is just another limitation, and how much of the 32 gb you think you actually get to use?
I think apple actually made another good product for people that collect apple products but I see no reason for android users to buy it. I love my mac but thats the only apple item I’d ever consider purchasing again and even there I find them to be stingy with ram and HDD storage.
I think more Fire TV users would be using Plex if the Plex client on Fire TV were better. The current state of Plex on the AFTV is downright awful. Fortunately PleXBMC is there to make up for it. Many people bought into the Fire TV in order to get a Plex client as well as access to prime streaming sites. It was, for them, a natural upgrade from Google TV. I suspect quite a few of those users may very well end up with the new ATV.
I think Plex is waiting on Fire OS 5 before giving the Fire TV app an overhaul.
You are right. I would be using plex if the app worked better on firetv. Video quality didn’t look as good and would stutter/judder a lot. Also it didn’t support DTS/DTS-HD audio. Started using Kodi exclusively after I couldn’t get the plex app to work properly. Plex actually worked better on my appletv 3rd gen than my firetv.
That does make sense except that Android TV has for the most part been a failure. I doubt that Amazon sees Apple as a much of a competitor as Android TV, since the Fire TV is so closely related to Android. There just aren’t that many Apple users switching to Fire devices so Amazon probably has little to lose putting it on ATV4. The fact that Amazon supports both AirPlay and downloading of Prime videos to iDevices does provide hope. Of course you might be right. Amazon doesn’t have to put it on.
Whoops this was meant as a reply to Justin on the issue of Prime Video being on ATV4.
If it had Amazon Prime I would buy one. Of course it never will. So I’ll stick with Asus Chromebox/OpenElec for Kodi and my AFTV for everything else.
It will have it. i Have the iPhone 6 and it has Amazon Prime so i think it would be available on the AppleTv. It already supports it via Airplay .
Android phones have prime instant video but not Android TV. It will likely be the same for apple tv. While I’m a fan of open standards it makes sense to keep it from competing tv platforms. It’s on Roku but they have always been their own thing instead of a competing plaftform.
Put my reply to you in the wrong place. See above.
Like that one meme of Tim Cook says “And that is why Android sucks. Now, let me walk you through all the things we just copied from Android?” I didn’t see anything particularly compelling and actually? Over-hauling the UI, adding Siri and adding the iTunes App Store did not take 3 years to do. So it was glaringly obvious that their network TV ambitions were supposed to be featured with the launch of this box.
Yeah, it looks like they waited to put out the new apple tv until they got a good look at the direction android tv and fire tv were going and just copied the features from there.
No official controller is a stupid move. It’s good to have a reference model for controllers as well as third party support.
I can’t imagine such a small surface for a touchpad working well. Apple always seems to want to get rid of buttons.
All I know is? If Steve’s Job’s quote (in his biography by Walter Isaacson) is accurate in him saying “I finally cracked it!” (referencing TV) was what we saw unveiled yesterday? Apple is in serious trouble. I get more excited by Google I/O these days than what I see at Apple Keynotes.
And no 4K support…WTH was Apple thinking?
“The future of TV is apps…”
No its not Tim, the future of TV is TV. Most people have little more than a passing interest in using their TV for nothing more than TV programs and movies and the apps that deliver these services (Hulu, Netflix..). Anyone who would buy an Apple TV probably already has an iphone/ipad or android phone/tablet. Why would they want apps on their TV when they already have them in the palm of their hand. The Ouya is a glaring example of why this is true. The old Apple TV is an excellent media box but this new one doesnt bring anything new that is of note. The future of TV is apps… HA!, good one Tim.
Yeah. Thats another thing. Im not crazy about that tagline “The future of tv is apps.”
I imagine itll be confusing to a lot of people…
They clearly didnt make this a top priority at any level within apple. Dont we already have apps on set top boxes? And we have for years now?
I wonder if other companies could get away with that? Take something that already is and call it the future…
McDonald’s: the future of fastfood is hamburgers. (TM)
The thing is if you are already a happy, devoted atv user then I think you’ll be pleased with this new box. It is a nice upgrade. But I dislike the marketing already, and for reasons I stated above theres not much to gain by switching from android but there is a lot to lose.
“Swiping to navigate lists is superior to holding down a directional button”
What?!! Having a touchpad as well as buttons may be useful but I need buttons. It’s apple’s fault buttons on phones got phased out I’m hoping getting rid of buttons on remotes doesn’t become the new tech trend.
I would never buy a set top box with that kind of remote.
It should also be 802.11ac not 802.12ac wireless.
Guys nobody didnt mention something big is removed on the new AppleTV dont have OPTICAL AUDIO !!!