Today Apple releases the new Apple TV, where Apple is bringing apps to your living room. Apple TV apps are built for the brand new tvOS operating system so you can expect to find all of the same features that you are familiar with from iOS. Apple was able to keep to a similar design while giving the hardware a much needed refresh, most notably, upgrading to a dual core chipset.
The new box is almost twice as tall as the previous generation, but maintains the same width and depth. You can still expect to find ethernet and HDMI ports on the back, however Apple did remove optical audio. USB-C made it’s debut on the new MacBook and it looks like Apple swapped the Micro USB for the new standard. There is a standard power port which indicates that the USB-C port will not be used for charging.
Apple is using the A8 processors found in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus most likely to reduce stress on the manufacturing of the new A9 and A9X processors. That being said, this is a huge jump from the single core A5 processor that can be found in the third generation Apple TV. The new remote has a touch pad and built in microphones for using Siri, all being powered by a lightning connected rechargeable battery. The new remote can be the master key for all your living room entertainment devices (DVD, TV, audio, etc.) with its built in IR transmitter that allows you to control things like volume and power to existing IR compatible devices.
Apple’s new operating system, tvOS, is mostly the same as iOS. It has a few differences in user interface and excludes some things like WebKit. You should expect software developers to release the same caliber apps that you are used to on the iOS App Store. The lack of support for 4k video is understandable given that compatible content is not widely available yet.
The Apple TV is available in 32GB model for $149, or a 64GB model for $199 which is a significant price hike over the current model. For the price, the additional features granting higher usability as a all in one entertainment device place the new Apple TV extremely well in a highly competitive space.
If you’re looking for a custom tvOS application, we at can build one for you with our in-house development capabilities. We’ve got the new Apple TV running already and have some prototypes in the works. We have even done some cool mock-ups of the Parallax interactive icons in WordPress (move your mouse over the icon below) also available via FileMaker interfaces if you like.
Tim Cimbura – CEO and Software Engineer
Tim is an expert in creating custom business solutions that make businesses more effective, productive, and profitable. He specializes in rapid application development with the Claris platform including FileMaker and WordPress. He also knows Apple macOS technology inside and out.