Apple announced that the new Apple TV “will be available at the end of October,” but it looks like you won’t put your hands on the new hardware before the first week of November. According to 9to5Mac’s Mark Gurman, Apple TV 4 “will begin showing up in Apple Retail Stores for sale during the first week of November.” And although, as Gurman claims, the new Apple TV will go on sale via Apple’s website in late October, “it’s likely that the first online orders will reach customers in early November.”

Giveaway: Win a brand new Apple TV 4!

More on Apple TV 4:

• MAME emulator running on Apple TV 4
• Official Plex app is coming to the new Apple TV
• VLC coming to the new Apple TV
• tvOS not coming to Apple TV 2 and Apple TV 3
• How Apple is fixing what’s wrong with console gaming today

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

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New day, new details on the upcoming Apple TV 4. 9to5Mac’s Mark Gurman this time reveals some new information about the next-generation Apple TV’s hardware:

• he confirms that it will run a A8 chip;
• Apple is said to be planing to release two models with 8GB and 16GB of storage (although it’s still possible it will only release the 16GB model);
• the new box will include the same ports as the current Apple TV: HDMI, optical audio, Ethernet, micro-USB (for service and support) and a plug for power;
• Apple TV 4 will not support 4K video streaming;
• the new remote with touch support and motion sensors will be a dark gray/black color “to better match the new box’s aesthetic”

It will still be made of metal. Below the touchpad are a pair of tactile buttons (for Siri and the Home button), in addition to rocker buttons assumed to control volume levels.

BuzzFeed’s John Paczkowski corroborates the information that was first revealed by Gurman, that the new Apple TV will start at $149.

Paczkowski also reports that the Apple TV 4 will have a ‘universal search’ feature that will lenable searches across multiple streaming video services as well as Apple’s iTunes Store when you search for a show or movie:

Instead of searching the catalogs of multiple video services one at a time for a particular movie, you’ll now be able to search all — or most of them — at once and then choose the service on which you’d like to watch it.

You’ll also be able to search for actors and directors, and run other more targeted searches as well — all with Siri.

While Apple’s intelligent personal assistant is core to this feature, sources say there’s another engine driving it as well — Matcha, the video discovery startup Apple acquired back in 2013. iOS 9’s“Proactive” search is also likely part of the mix here, as 9to5Mac reported.

Learn more about Apple TV 4:

• Apple TV 4: big focus on gaming and Siri, support for Bluetooth game controllers
• Apple TV 4 will cost $149-$199, available in October
• New details about Apple TV 4 revealed

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

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It is highly expected that Apple will announce a new Apple TV model at its annual September’s event, which will very likely be held on Sept. 9th. 9to5Mac’s Mark Gurman has recently provided some new details about the next-generation Apple TV:

• Apple TV 4 will be the first model to run a full-blown iOS core and it will run a TV-optimized version of iOS 9;
• it will look like the prior Apple TV, but will be slimmer and slightly wider;
• it is likely that it will retain a plastic body for the best compatibility with routers and Bluetooth remotes;
• the new remote control will not only include touch-based input but also gesture support. Perhaps it will also feature Force Touch technology;
• “the new remote will likely pack enough technology to deter users from losing the controller”;
• Apple is planning to include a support for a system-wide search on the new Apple TV (just like the Proactive search on iOS 9) but 9to5Mac was told that “the company may wait to integrate the new search features until the Apple TV is populated with third-party applications”;
• as for the Apple TV apps, Apple has fosuced on video-centric applications, “which would allow media companies to release new channels on the Apple TV on their own schedule”;
• the new Apple TV will include a refreshed, more iOS-like interface, however, “the general aesthetic will be similar to the current look”. 9t5Mac was told that the new OS looks somewhat like the mockup below:

• the new Apple TV iOS 9 builds internally run on both the current J33 (Apple TV 3) and future J34 (Apple TV 4) models, “but internal testing does not always accurately forecast public launch plans”;
• it appears that Apple’s long-rumored online TV service won’t launch until at least next year.

More about Apple TV 4:

• Apple TV 4 hardware, software, release date detailed by Mark Gurman
• Multi-touch Bluetooth remote for Apple TV referenced in El Capitan beta 2
• Apple working on its own web TV service
• WSJ: Apple to launch $30-$40/month online TV service in September
• Reading between the lines of WWDC 2015 keynote

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

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Last week’s WWDC keynote turned out to be disappointing for us since Apple TV 4 failed to make the stage. It was initially expected that the new Apple TV 4 with slimmer profile, its own SDK, new Xcode based firmware, support for Siri and more, would be announced at the WWDC. But just few days before the event NYT, BuzzFeed and Re/Code reported that the Apple TV had been cut off from the keynote and that turned out to be true.

Three days before WWDC 2015 keynote, in a podcast interview with John Gruber [episode 122, 13-19 mins], Mark Gurman, who earlier vouched for Apple TV 4’s WWDC announcement, said that the Apple TV SDK has already been cooked into iOS 9 and that even with Apple’s maximum efforts, we could pick up some references in the firmware:

I even spoke to someone very reliable after those reports came out, who said that the SDK ‘n all that they are preparing for Monday still has (or as of that day, still had) the TV Kit stuff intertwined in there. So when the developers pull this thing apart, I won’t be surprised to see some references to that on Monday afternoon or whenever people get their hands on it.

Either Apple has released an earlier version of iOS 9 as the first beta or they have done an excellent job of cleaning it up, because no reports of references to the Apple TV SDK has been made till now. However, it seems Apple left one clue in the new developer program which indicates third-party app support on Apple TV.

Apple TV apps are coming pic.twitter.com/wOR98JOY6e

— Ouriel Ohayon (@OurielOhayon) June 9, 2015

At WWDC, Apple announced that they are merging the Developer Programs for watchOS, Mac OS X and iOS, so that a single subscription of $99 allows developers to make apps for all Apple devices. And as a part of the merging process, Apple reallotted the maximum number of devices that can be registered for beta testing of apps. Consequently, Apple TV picked up a massive 100 device limit on par with that of iPhones and iPads, for beta testing of app.

This might be reserved for the mere testing of Apple TV beta softwares, but 100 seems to be a bit overdo for such a purpose. And that is why, analysts think that Apple TV apps are coming soon, meaning Apple TV 4 is coming sooner.

The Verge’s Chris Welch:

What’s notable about these latest changes is that Apple TV is being mentioned more explicitly, and not only that, it’s receiving the same number of test slots that developers get for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch — all products that run thousands of third-party applications.

In the interview, Gurman also says that he now expects the Apple TV 4 to be launched in September, along with the next iPhones.

Read more on the next Apple TV.

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Mark Gurman is probably the most respected and trusted blogger when it comes to breaking Apple news. Today, in a new post at 9to5Mac, he sheds some light on the Apple TV 4, as his sources report major facelifts in both hardware and software domains.

The Apple TV 4 Remote

As rumored before, the next Apple TV will come with a redesigned remote control, which is “fancier” than the current one and will likely sport a touchscreen or touchpad.

The the Apple Watch will be able to not only control your Apple TV, but, according to Gurman, “Apple plans to market the current Apple Watch as a primary input device for the next-generation Apple TV.”

The Apple TV 4 Software

Again, confirming previous rumors, the Apple TV 4 will pack a new operating system, codenamed “MonarchTide”. This OS will allow third party apps, which can be built with a new “TV Kit” included in a future version of Xcode, dubbed “MuirTrail”.

The new Xcode-based OS will also bear support for Apple’s voice assistant Siri.

Media Content on Apple TV 4

Gurman’s source says that the current prototypes, called the “J34” is filled with subscription-dependent channels just like the current Apple TV versions. However, Apple’s own rumored “Live TV” subscription service is expected to get added to them soon.

Read more on Apple’s online television service.

Apple TV 4 Hardware

The new Apple TV hardware, codenamed “J34,” is twice as bulky as the Apple TV 3, but that is common with all prototypes. Sources confirm that the shipping product will be slimmer than the current Apple TV box.

It will also come with a redesigned remote, as mentioned earlier.

Apple TV 4 Release date

The Apple TV 4 will be announced in June, at the WWDC 2015, like we reported earlier. The online TV service is expected to launch at a later date.

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

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According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple is planning to launch its own online television service that would include about 25 channels from broadcasters such as ABC, CBS and Fox and would be available on Apple TV as well as on iPhone and iPad.

The idea is to offer consumers a “skinny” bundle with well-known channels like CBS, ESPN and FX, while leaving out the many smaller networks in the standard cable TV package.

Some media executives said they believed Apple was aiming to price the service at about $30 to $40 a month. The company is aiming to announce its new service in June and launch it in September, according to people familiar with the matter.

WSJ reports that Apple is in talks with Walt Disney Co., CBS Corp., and 21st Century Fox Inc., among other media companies.

Last week Apple announced that the new HBO NOW streaming service is coming exclusively to Apple TV in April. According to WSJ, “that deal was designed as a kind of appetizer for the main meal plans to be served later this year.”

Apple has also dropped the price of Apple TV to $69 (and it’s now just $67.87 on Amazon), which 9to5Mac’s Mark Gurman thinks is a sign that the company is making room for “a groundbreaking new set-top box.”

9to5Mac reported that Apple is working on a new, slimmer Apple TV model with a more capable and tactile remote control and a redesigned OS bundled with an App Store.

We shouldn’t be surprised if the new Apple TV launches in September, along with Apple’s online TV service.

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9to5Mac’s Senior Editor, Mark Gurman is riding a high tide now, as most of his predictions regarding the Apple Watch and the new ultra-thin MacBook were proven right. In an interview given to CNBC, Gurman shares his views on where Apple TV is going and the possibility of an Apple television set.

Along with other Apple stuff, the CNBC reporter asked Gurman about his thoughts on the $30 price cut for Apple TV 3 and the 3 month exclusivity of HBO NOW for Apple TV. This is what he had to say:

I think this $69 price point ($30 price drop) is a big deal because it indicates that they try to make room for something. They are trying to sell a lot of these Apple TVs. They are trying to use it as a marketing tool to really allow for customer discovery of these living room solutions. So I think it is a big deal in getting the Apple TV out there.[..]

Even bigger is the HBO exclusivity deal because it represents that the Apple TV with the cable networks and show providers have the technology to do a subscription service without the cable box. And I think HBO is just the first of many.

And I think the overall solution Apple has in the works is just a bunch of different programs and apps, that are not on a pay-per-view subscription but like perhaps a weekly, monthly or yearly plans.

Gurman was also asked about the possibility of a standalone Apple TV set:

I don’t think [Apple TV set] is currently in the works or is currently the plan. I think the plan is to make a groundbreaking new set-top box that really changes the model path of how people get TV. I think more services-backed model is where they are headed instead of screen-based hardware.

I think the next version of Apple TV, in terms of appearance, will look really a lot like the current one. It probably will be thinner, have a larger more tactile remote control. But in terms of a screen-based set, I don’t think that is happening in the near future.

You can catch the whole 5 minute interview here.

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