Forget About The Watch- What's Happening With Apple TV?

As we all begin to fully digest the wealth of information from Apple’s event yesterday, many are debating the lack of ports on the new shiny MacBook, the battery life of theApple Watch or how the $10,000 version is spookily reminiscent of the Emperor's New Clothes fable.

However, Apple TV fans were left a little disappointed and frustrated with the lack of 4th-gen release who have not seen a hardware refresh since 2013, this has left some owners questioning if Apple have actually given up on this product whilst others have insisted that maybe there will be something on the horizon later this year.

By offering a price reduction along with exclusive HBO content, an OS update complete with security patches and the persistent rumours that they could be preparing to launch a Netflix rival, there is a strong argument that Apple are far from walking away from the world of TV.

Alternatively, you could argue that we have no need for a physical box to subscribe to digital content and apps such as YouTube as most of these services are available on a standard Smart TV that are dropping in price at a rapid rate.

Towards the end of 2013, Microsoft gambled heavily on their console being a media entertainment hub as the race to capture the living room gathered pace, but ultimately people could already access Netflix, Catchup TV, YouTube, Amazon Prime from other devices and now your TV can do this on its own, they have slowly retreated back to being a games console undoing their original launch philosophy, with this in mind could the Apple TV Hardware be heading the same way?

However. I believe that reporting the demise of Apple TV hardware is probably a little premature, especially if you consider that yesterday's event was all about fitness, motivation, reminding you to get up and move instead of sitting down watching TV, so there was a definite conflict of interest here when introducing a new product category.

Each Apple event seems to concentrate on a theme, last year we were talking about Apple Pay transforming the way we pay for products on the move whilst yesterday was all about the benefits the watch can bring to your lifestyle, but the devil is always in the details and we need to remember the line in which Tim Cook teased the audience with the following.

Today just marked the beginning of many changes coming to the world of television

This perfectly sets the scene for the next Apple event where the theme could concentrate on the Apple HomeKit that could transform your home by controlling your lighting, heating, home security and home entertainment from the HomeKit Bridge

My personal opinion is although your Apple TV might be left feeling a little neglected and in need of an upgrade at the moment, I wouldn’t worry too much because once you have subscribed to a healthier way of life, I am sure the nice people at Apple will be focussing on your home and along with the Internet of Things, there will be a strong focus on home entertainment where they will enter a world of 4K Televisions, streaming and gaming like their competitors who are already leading the way in this area.

Who knows if the Apple TV box will go through a complete overhaul as part of an entertainment or HomeKit package or if there is even a need for a box anymore when NetFlix Prime and Amazon prime can be used without any add-ons for people who want to access content, but make no mistake that there is unfinished business in your home and I would expect this to be the next theme to dominate a future Apple Event.

What are your thoughts on the future of Apple TV, Apple HomeKit and your home becoming a battleground for technology? Let me know your thoughts.

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