Apple announces a new $149 Apple TV with Siri
Apple announced the new revamped Apple TV in San Francisco, and it looks amazing. Apple didn’t change how the core box looked, but revamped the TV remote to feature a touch pad, motion control, and Siri built right in. The Apple TV starts out at $149 for the 32GB, and $199 for the 64GB model. That’s pricy when you compare the Fire TV, Roku, or any Google streaming box. It’s also more expensive than the previous model of the Apple TV ever was.
Apple has built Siri into the Apple TV, and now you’re able to universally search for movies or TV right on your TV (iTunes, Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Showtime). You’re also able to search for titles, actors, genres, and ask Siri for show recommendations like, “What are some new movies that are good to watch with kids?”
“It’s the golden age of television,” said CEO Tim Cook. “Our vision for TV is simple and perhaps a little provocative. We believe the future of television is apps.” Apple has now included its app store, with a big emphasis on gaming. Apple’s new push into the living room is huge, especially as the company is expected to launch a streaming service sometime early next year. Eddy Cue labeled the new Apple TV “a foundation for the future of television,” offering another hint of the company’s plans for a subscription service down the road. The TV also comes with a new OS that cleaner, works better with the touch remote, and uses Siri more. Apple says the new software is called tvOS. As you watch shows, Siri can pull up game scores or current weather conditions.
The Apple TV will hit stores in October, and Apple fans will surely be lining up to grab one of the boxes to replace their previous models. Apple is setting up to try and make TV more universal, along with making casual gaming a core part of the living room. The company also featured shopping apps to make a note the TV isn’t limited to just entertainment like Amazon or Roku has tried to stick too. They know and understand many of the companies with iOS apps will likely port their apps over to the Apple TV like they have add support for the Apple Watch in the app store.
Tell us in the comments below what you think about the new Apple TV, and if you’ll pick one up once October rolls around!