Apple announced yesterday the new Apple TV due out at the end of October 2015, among it’s more notable features are the touch pad remote which includes Siri voice search/commands and the new OS(tvOS) which includes the ability to run apps and games. The new Apple TV will be available in two different flavors either with 32GB of storage for $149 or 64GB for $199.
The touchpad remote is really the feature that sets it apart from the competition such as the Nexus Player, Amazon Fire TV, Roku.
Engadget has the comparison between the new Apple TV(2015) and the old Apple TV(2012):
| APPLE TV (2015) | APPLE TV (2012) | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $149, $199 | $99 |
| Dimensions | 3.9 x 1.3 x 3.9 inches (98 x 33 x 98mm) | 3.9 x 0.9 x 3.9 inches (98 x 23 x 98mm) |
| Weight | 0.94 pounds (425g) | 0.6 pounds (272g) |
| Output resolution | 720p, 1080p | 720p, 1080p |
| CPU | Apple A8 | Apple A5 |
| GPU | PowerVR GX6450 | PowerVR SGX543MP2 |
| RAM | 2GB | 512MB |
| Internal storage | 32GB / 64GB | 8GB |
| WiFi | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | 802.11 a/b/g/n |
| Wired network | 10/100 Ethernet | 10/100 Ethernet |
| Bluetooth | v4.0 | v4.0 |
| Ports | HDMI 1.4, USB-C | HDMI, USB, Optical |
| Motion control | Yes (accelerometer, gyroscope) | No |
| Operating system | tvOS | iOS 5 |
| Video codecs | H.264 1080p, MPEG-4 480p | H.264 1080p, MPEG-4 480p, M-JPEG 720p |
| Audio codecs | HE-AAC, AAC, MP3, Audible, Apple Lossless, AIFF, WAV, Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 | HE-AAC, AAC, MP3, Audible, Apple Lossless, AIFF, WAV, Dolby Digital 5.1 |
| Photo formats | JPEG, GIF, TIFF | JPEG, GIF, TIFF |
| Apps | Yes | No |
| Available content | iTunes, AirPlay, iCloud, Netflix, HBO Now, Hulu, Showtime, MLB, NBA, NHL, CNN, FOX, PBS Kids, ABC News, Disney Channel, ESPN, USA and more | iTunes, AirPlay, iCloud, Netflix, MLB, NBA, NHL, YouTube, Vimeo, WSJ Live, Flickr |
As you can see the new Apple TV also received a CPU, GPU, RAM and internal storage boost, for me it lacked a “wow” factor as far as features, personally this is Apple getting up to par with the competition; I really expected to see the new Apple TV support 4K or something like that. I’m sure that won’t stop anyone from upgrading or picking up a new Apple TV when it comes out in October, learn more about it by visiting Apple.
