Apple has a successor to its dusty and long overdue for an overhaul Apple TV, but it's not quite ready to show it off.
Apple had intended to unveil the device and an associated app development kit during the keynote address at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on Monday, as BuzzFeed News reported back in March. But the company changed its mind and abandoned those plans sometime last month.
Sources familiar with Apple's thinking say the company reversed course largely due to lingering concerns with the device itself, which one person described as "almost there." Continuing difficulties wrapping up content negotiations for a new, associated web TV service may have also been a consideration. Sources also tell BuzzFeed News Apple hasn't yet finalized the network deals it feels are key to a successful go-to-market strategy.
Earlier this week, Re/code reported that Apple would not unveil its subscription TV service at WWDC. Sources tell BuzzFeed such an announcement was never really part of the WWDC plan.
When Apple does finally debut its next-generation Apple TV, it will be a significant overhaul of the diminutive set-top box, which hasn't seen a refresh since early 2012. Expect an updated design and new innards: Apple's latest A8 system on chip — or a variant of it; an improved operating system that will support Siri voice control; and a new remote that sources say has been "drastically improved" by the addition of a touchpad.
Apple declined to comment on its Apple TV timeline. News of the company's decision to pull the device from its WWDC presentation was first reported by the New York Times.