The Next Apple TV will Cost $99 and Not Suck

Now this is interesting. Hey, remember Apple TV? No, I don’t blame you. Man, Apple TV sucked so hard. Apparently, though, that won’t be the case forever – sources of Engadget have whispered some sweet nothings about the next iteration of Apple’s crappiest product (presently), and it’s sounding pretty erotic from where I’m sitting. Like, I’m thinking of inviting this thing back to my place for some drinks.

The main point is that for all intents and purposes, Apple TV II will be a screenless iPhone 4, with identical hardware, save for 1080p capability. It’ll even be running the iPhone OS. For a TV experience, that’s actually a pretty swell idea.

Local storage will be all but done away with in favour of The Cloud. I always say that in my head in a really epic, commanding voice. The Clooouuud . Anyway, Time Capsule compatibility will be supported, but not the focus, which will be absolutely on streaming. This, then, brings up a good question: if I want the web on my TV, Apple, I definitely want YouTube. But you don’t support Flash. What else you got?

A $99 dollar price tag, that’s what.

With a price like that, and assuming App Store support, what with the iPhone platform, this may revolutionize not only television, but Apple may finally be able to become more than a joke in the gaming industry. Apple TV 2 may just be the best GoogleTV killer you’ve never officially heard about.

The Second Generation of Apple TV Revealed

A confirmed tip from a source very close to Apple points towards a new version of Apple TV on the horizon.
According to sources, this project will tie in much more closely with Apple’s mobile offerings. The new build of the TV solution will be based directly off of the iPhone 4 (no word on apps and the App Store making an appearance as of yet), meaning it will have the exact same internal components including the A4 CPU and limited amount of flash storage (16GB) and will be capable of 1080 HD.

The device has been said to be very small (maybe the same size as the iPhone?) with very few ports (only a power socket and video out). The best of the source’s news though is the price point; $99.

If that 16GB of flash storage seemed small to you as well, never fear. Apple has more plans for your memory space. Apple seems to be moving away from local storage and into the market of cloud-based storage as this version will be mostly a streaming device, though there will be the option to use a Time Capsule device as external storage.

Apple is not expected to reveal this technology at the upcoming WWDC as that event will be mainly focused on the new iPhone, but don’t be surprised if we see this tech soon.

It is also rumored to be available for $99, although that will obviously not be confirmed until its official release.

Source: engadget