As the days count down to the Sept. 9 Apple Event, more rumors are beginning to leak out about something a lot of people would like to see: a new Apple TV. BuzzFeed’s John Paczkowski today reported that the device will come with a premium price tag compared to competing devices from Amazon, Roku, and Google, and will also come with a feature that should make it a really useful video companion — universal search with Siri.
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The report says that the next-generation Apple TV will start at $149, more than double the price of the current $69 third-generation device that may be offered as an entry-level box. The “start at” price hints that more expensive models, perhaps with additional storage capacity, could be in the works.
Siri will be the “cornerstone” of the new Apple TV, letting users make a single voice search that could bring in results from services like iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, and Netflix all at one time. Other search options will supposedly include the ability to find content by a specific actor or director.
Of course, the arrival of an Apple TV app store could be the biggest improvement in the new device, with rumors pointing towards a newly designed remote control with motion sensors for casual gaming.
Much of its value will hinge on whether it will work with standard IOS apps, perhaps after a rewrite for larger screens. That’d immediately put this new Apple TV and its app store far above its cheaper competitors in available apps. Users will pay more but also get more.
Other than that, early purchasers are taking a chance that the subscription service Apple will offer will be really good, better than any of Apple’s competitors.