Apple TV 4 - Summary of rumors

As part of the upcoming WWDC is Apple to introduce a supposedly revolutionary new generation of set-top box Apple TV. The recent rumors about the Apple TV 4 we have summarized below.

Apple TV 4 for WWDC

As part of its Worldwide Developers Conference, which is expected by 8 to 12 June will take place, Apple will introduce a new generation of supposed Apple TV. Hardware and software should be clearly distinguished from all previous versions.

It would be the first Apple TV generation, which will be presented at WWDC. This suggests that new features will be introduced, which are relevant for app developers.

New hardware, new design

That the new Apple TV comes with a completely new hardware and a revised design, already considered to be virtually certain.

Already last year, this new hardware with the new Identifier announced AppleTV4,1 to, the one in the depths of iOS 7 found .

How it works: Apple changes the identifier number before the decimal place only when the hardware changes fundamentally. Only the number changed after the decimal point, it is a small upgrade of existing hardware.

The current generation of Apple TV from January 2013 carries the identifier AppleTV3,2. The previous generation, which was launched in March 2012, had AppeTV3,1.

3.2 and 3.1 differ only in a slightly modified Apple A5 SoC. Apart from that, they are identical.

AppleTV4,1 thus means that the hardware is changed fundamentally.

The new Apple TV is the A8 SoC potter, the same chip in the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus as A8X in and in a slightly modified form iPad Air 2 is used.

The A8 is a 64-bit SoC with 1.4GHz CPU, 1GB LPDDR3 memory and quad-core graphics unit. For the current tasks of the Apple TV, this chip would be absolute overkill. Since the currently built A5 would be sufficient.

Also there is talk of even more space. The current generation comes out with 8 GB, which is more than enough for streaming content and occasional software updates. More space and a current processor with faster graphics, however, are for the following features very front edge.

App Store

The App Store on Apple TV users wish for many years. Now is the time to be ripe, partly because now there are the necessary conditions, such as HomeKit.

HomeKit - Home Automation

The new Apple TV will serve as a kind of hub for the HomeKit.

HomeKit is Apple's platform for home automation. What HealthKit for fitness apps and the Apple Watch is intended HomeKit for well coming "Home" app and all other existing home automation systems.

It should serve as a standard for this kind of applications, so that at some point no longer needed an app for the lights, a second for the heater and a third example of the garage door.

If these home automation functions can be provided together with HomeKit also for the current generation of products via a software update, there would in one fell swoop million users with a HomeKit hub in their living room.

Siri

Apple's voice-controlled assistant Siri, who is currently on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad is available now probably comes finally to the Apple TV. It is thus not only search for movies, but probably can also control HomeKit with voice commands. This requires a microphone that Apple could either be directly integrated into the set-top box or in the new remote control. "Hey Siri, turn off the lights" or "Hey Siri, turn the heating down to 18 degrees" sounds good.