It’s Apple rumor time. Tech publications have been buzzing that Apple will announce the iPhone 8 at an event on September 12. Yesterday, Bloomberg added that Apple will announce upgraded Apple TV and Apple Watch models at the same time.
The report cites “people familiar with the matter” and is light on details. The new Apple TV will support 4K video and include HDR support, it says. The report didn’t include any information on pricing. Apple is in discussions with movie studios to get 4K versions of movies, it adds.
The Apple TV has declined in popularity in the last year: A research report released two days ago from Parks Associates said the Apple TV makes up 15 percent of streaming device ownership by U.S. households, putting it behind Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Google Chromecast. A Parks analyst suggested that Apple TV’s price—it currently starts at $149 while Roku starts at $29—was largely responsible for its fall.
While Apple hasn’t paid much attention to the device—it was last updated in September 2015—it’s serious about succeeding with streaming video. News broke last week that Apple will spend $1 billion developing original programs, and is now in Hollywood shopping for original ideas. Perhaps those new programs will show exclusively on Apple devices, boosting the Apple TV’s perceived value.
The upcoming iPhone 8 is rumored to offer facial recognition technology to unlock the phone, wireless charging, a glass body, and a larger edge-to-edge screen.
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