Matt Johnston
Earlier reports claimed that Apple was initially aiming to announce the new Apple TV at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June, but that event instead centered around the Apple Music streaming service and Mac OS X El Capitan.
But Paczkowski reports that Apple is finally ready to unveil the redesigned Apple TV at the same fall event where it usually reveals the newest iPhone, with the extra time resulting in a "more polished" Apple TV streaming box.
On the hardware side, Apple is said to have slimmed down the Apple TV itself, and the Apple TV remote is also getting a redesign that includes a new haptic touch pad. It sounds like Apple is also updating the Apple TV's processor to one of its A8 chips, and it's also adding more RAM for a speed boost.
On the software side of things, the biggest news is that Apple is reportedly revealing an Apple TV App Store that will allow developers to create third-party apps and games for the device. Siri is also said to be compatible with the new Apple TV, which combined with the redesigned remote, should make navigating the menus far easier.
Interestingly enough, the Apple TV started out as a "hobby" product for Apple, but after reaching more than $1 billion in sales in 2013, Tim Cook has since said, "It's a little more difficult to call it a hobby these days."
Apple is also said to be developing its own TV subscription streaming service to launch in the fall, according to The Wall Street Journal, which will offer "about 25 channels, anchored by broadcasters such as ABC, CBS, and Fox, and would be available on Apple devices such as the Apple TV."