Apple is gearing up for its much awaited event on Sept. 9, where the company is anticipated to announce its new Apple TV. As the event draws near, rumors pertaining to the device are gaining momentum, suggesting that it will pack in an A8 chip, as well as 8GB and 16GB of storage.
The information comes courtesy of BuzzFeed's John Paczkowski, who cites reliable sources. On Wednesday, Sept. 2, Paczkowski shared the details on the impending next-gen Apple TV: while it will not offer 4K support as previously rumored, the set-top box will bring a new functionality in the form of universal search.
This feature will enable users to search for a particular program or film by entering its title and find out which provider they can watch it on. One will also be able to key in targeted searches for a particular director or actor thanks to Siri.
"Sources familiar with Apple's plans say that a cornerstone of the company's new set-top box is a universal search feature that will enable searches across multiple streaming video services as well as Apple's iTunes Store," reported BuzzFeed.
The publication's sources also let on that the next-gen Apple TV, like all successors, is a significant improvement over the previous iteration. It will not only have more powerful innards, but will also come with a new remote, believed to have a touchpad input that has "drastically improved" the device. Moreover, the remote will also tout motion sensors that will enable it to serve as a game controller.
Previous rumors have pointed to an App Store that caters specifically to Apple TV, as well as integration with Siri.
The fourth-gen Apple TV is also anticipated to offer support for 8GB and 16GB storage since most content will be streamed from the Internet. Under the hood, it is expected to pack in an A8 processor, which will be quite an upgrade from the A5 processor on the current-gen model.
Reports claim Apple will either release 8GB and 16GB models, which will be priced at $149 and $199 respectively, or opt for a $149 16GB model.
