Despite rumors that Apple will announce a new Apple TV at its September 10th iPhone event, no such hardware unveiling is planned, according to AllThingsD. But a big software upgrade will be announced, and it will reportedly add new AirPlay functionality that makes it easier to watch content you purchased from the iTunes Store on a friend’s Apple TV.
“One new feature in the works will let people who’ve bought content from Apple play that stuff on other users’ Apple TVs, via Apple’s Airplay system and Apple’s server,” reports AllThingsD. Instead of having to log out of someone’s iTunes account on the Apple TV and log into your own, it looks like Apple will let iOS devices become remotes for telling Apple TVs to stream purchased content stored in iCloud, regardless of which account the box is tied to currently.
The Apple TV set-top box hasn’t seen a hardware refresh since January of 2013, but new features and content channels have continually been added via software updates. The most recent update brought channels like Vevo, Disney, and The Weather Channel.
More features to expect for the Apple TV are iTunes Radio, the ability to purchase music from the iTunes Store, the ability to perform setup with an iPhone or iPad, and a ‘Conference Room’ mode for connecting via AirPlay in business or academic settings. The release of iOS 7 for the Apple TV, which is currently in beta, will likely be timed alongside the release of iOS 7 on the iPhone and iPad.
Source: AllThingsD
