Apple is planning a 4K upgrade for its TV Box

Apple’s iPhone 8 may not be the only new product the firm launches this September.

The company is finally updating the Apple TV after nearly two years, upgrading it up to 4K streaming standards, reports claim.

The new set-top box model will come with High Dynamic Range (HDR) video and will reportedly have a quicker processor to handle 4K streamer.

The updated box is to be revealed alongside new iPhone and Apple Watch models at an event in September, sources close to the project told Bloomberg. 

Apple’s iPhone 8 may not be the only new product the firm launches this September. The company is finally updating the Apple TV (pictured is the firm’s current model) after nearly two years, upgrading it up to 4K streaming standards, reports claim

CURRENT APPLE TV SPECS 

Height: 1.4 inches (35 mm)

Width: 3.9 inches (98 mm)

Depth: 3.9 inches (98 mm)

Weight: 15 ounces (425 g)

A8 chip with 64-bit architecture

802.11a, b, g, n, or ac wifi

$149 (£129) for the 32GB model and $199 (£169) for the 64GB version 

The box will need to be paired with a television capable of playing 4K HDR content to bring out its full potential.

Apple will also update its TV app, first launched in 2016, to aggregate programming from apps that offer live streaming.

The firm could pair with streaming services like Netflix or Amazon Prime Video to provide 4K content.

The upcoming Apple TV would be the company’s fifth generation of the device.

The 4th generation box was launched back in October 2015, and added a new remote control, an App Store and support from its Siri voice assistant.

At Apple’s developers conference in June, CEO Tim Cook said ‘you’ll be hearing a lot more about tvOS later this year,’ referring to the Apple TV’s operating system.

The software allows users to stream movies, play games and download applications.

In order to play 4K and HDR content, Apple will need deals with content providers who can make video in those formats.

Apple says apps are the future of TV, and its new $149 box has a winning combination of streaming services, games and other apps to make it the best way to make your TV smart.

The new set-top box model will come with High Dynamic Range (HDR) video and will reportedly have a quicker processor. Pictured bottom right is Apple’s current set-top box model and its remote, released in 2015

Discussions have already begun with several movie studios to provide 4K versions of films via iTunes, according to sources close to the talks.

Companies that already have apps on Apple TV, such as Vevo and Netflix, are already in talks with Apple about providing 4K content.

Before he died, Apple founder Steve Jobs expressed great interest in reinventing the television, telling biographer Walter Isaacson that he had ‘finally cracked it.’

But it was reported in 2015 that Apple had scrapped plans for its own ultra-high-definition television set ‘more than a year ago’.

The company struggled to find any new, untapped features that would differentiate their screen from rivals Samsung, LG, and Sharp, the report said. 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk