Citing the ever-popular “sources familiar with the matter,” Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and Anousha Sakoui report Apple will debut a 4K-capable Apple TV alongside the new iPhone at an event to be held in September.
Apple is planning to unveil a renewed focus on the living room with an upgraded Apple TV set-top box that can stream 4K video and highlight live television content such as news and sports, according to people familiar with the matter.
The updated box, to be revealed alongside new iPhone and Apple Watch models at an event in September, will run a faster processor capable of streaming the higher-resolution 4K content, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans aren’t yet public. The 4K designation is a quality standard that showcases content at twice the resolution of 1080P high-definition video, meaning the clarity is often better for the viewer. Apple is also testing an updated version of its TV app, which first launched in 2016, that can aggregate programming from apps that already offer live streaming.
Apple is said to be in discussions with movie studios to supply 4K versions of their movies and other video content to the iTunes store. The company is also said to be in similar talks with content suppliers that currently supply tvOS apps.
Earlier this month, the accidentally revealed HomePod firmware revealed the Cupertino firm is working on a set top box that boasts support for 4K video, and HDR in both 10-bit and Dolby Vision formats.
It should be a busy September event for Apple, as they are expected to debut a trio of new iPhones, an LTE-capable Apple Watch, and now the 4K Apple TV at the event. The media event is expected to be announced shortly, with September 12 as the anticipated date.
