Apple Unveils the New Apple TV

Depending on whether or not you’re in the market for a new tablet or smartphone, the brand new Apple TV was perhaps the highlight of the Cupertino tech giant’s event in San Francisco. Billed by Apple as “the future of television,” the much-needed update to the company’s set-top box includes an overhauled remote that comes complete with a Glass Touch surface — so you can say goodbye to endless button pressing — a dual microphone for Siri functionality; menu, home, play and volume buttons; an accelerometer and gyroscope; an IR transmitter; built-in Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology and a rechargeable (via Lightning connectivity) battery intended to provide months of life on a single charge. As for the box itself, HDMI 1.4, 802.11ac Wi‑Fi with MIMO, 10/100BASE-T Ethernet, Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology, a USB‑C port, and built‑in power supply all come standard while processing power comes in the form of an A8 chip with 64-bit architecture.

In addition to the remote, the TV’s interface itself has received a complete overhaul. Users will finally have access to a dedicated App Store and customizable home screen while the new remote can be used much like Nintendo’s Wii controller so as to play games from the App Store right on your television. For “serious gamers,” the Apple TV even supports third-party MFi-based controllers. Finally, the interface will also offer Apple Music as well as the usual access to all your favorite videos, photos and more.

Due out this October, the new Apple TV will retail for $149 with 32 GB of on-board storage while the 64 GB model will retail for $199 USD.