The release of the newest iPhone may not be the only announcement on the roster for Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) next major event on Sept. 10. GigaOM reports that Panjiva, a global trade intelligence platform, predicts Apple will also be unveiling the newest version of its Apple TV.
A Panjiva blog post referenced shipments to Apple from Chinese equipment supplier BYD Precision Manufacture in August described as "Set Top Boxes" and "Set Top Box with Communication Function." The post speculated that the set-top boxes were one of three things: Apple's TV-focused product, a retooled version of its current Apple TV or "something that's not particularly interesting, but that has an interesting description to throw us all off."
GigaOM's Om Malik suggests the upcoming iOS 7 might be the driving force behind a new Apple TV.
"With a new iOS 7 on the way, it wouldn't be a stretch to expect a newer model of Apple TV that accommodates the increasing number of channel options and brings some of the features of the iOS to the big screen," Malik says.
According to MacRumors, Apple TV hasn't been updated for 546 days, though the average time between updates is only 377 days. By that timeline, it would make sense for a newer version of the product to be released at the Sept. 10 event.
Releasing a new Apple TV could help Apple compete with over-the-top video device manufacturers ranging from Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) to Samsung and Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT).
For more:
- read the GigaOM article
- check out the Panjiva blog post
- see the MacRumors article
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