As announced by Apple CEO Tim Cook, the new Apple TV is now available for online order. The new TV set-top box is available for 32GB or 64GB for $149 or $199 respectively. Orders will start to ship later this week, the earliest deliveries being set for October 30 for customers who choose one-day shipping.
Apple is also selling additional Siri Remotes for $79, and Remote Loop for $12.99. Apple Care is available for all products for $29. The Apple TV will be available in Europe, Canada, Australia and Japan.
A New TV Experience
This new Apple TV, as declared by Cook, will bring innovation to the TV experience. It features an A8 processor and 2GB of RAM. It supports 1080p video at 60fps. It features a full App Store in an effort to modernize the ‘linear TV experience’ most users are used to. The new Apple TV also features universal search, which lets users find content through several services. Apple intends to extend this feature for developers in order for their content to be included in the service. An update reveals that the new Apple TV will also support Apple Music, so users will be able to listen to their favorite music straight from their TV or home theatre system.
The Siri Remote allows users to have Siri sort and find preferred TV shows and movies, extra ones are now available for purchase. The remote includes a glass touchpad, an accelerometer and a gyroscope so as to be capable of serving as a game controller. Third party Bluetooth controllers are also compatible. The Remote Loop, only compatible with the Siri Remote, is designed to keep the Siri Remote safely attached to the wrist so users it won’t slips or drops.
The Competition is On
It’s still left to be seen how the new Apple TV performs against the Roku 3 and Google Chromecast. Both of the competing devices, unlike the new Apple TV, are at or under $100, and the Roku 3 has received favorable reviews. The specs look promising and the inception of the Siri Remote and its Remote Loop are sure to spark interest, but it’s still unknown whether Apple will deliver the promise made by Tim Cook at the WSJDLive conference on October 19.
Into Gadgets? Clapway Trends Reviews the Lepow Poki Eternal Battery Charger!
