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Apple pulls planned Apple TV hardware revamp announcement from WWDC

Apple has decided to pull its planned WWDC new Apple TV hardware announcement, according to a new claim. Apple planned to debut the new box at the June 8th kickoff keynote before making the decision to scrap the hardware and SDK introduction in mid-May, according to the new report:

The company planned as recently as mid-May to use the event to spotlight new Apple TV hardware, along with an improved remote control and a tool kit for developers to make apps for the entertainment device. But those plans were postponed partly because the product was not ready for prime time, according to two people briefed on the product.

We’ve reported that Apple has been planning a redesigned Apple TV box with app functionality, Siri voice search, and a new remote control for sometime, but it appears those won’t be showcased until later, according to newspaper The New York Times. BuzzFeed and Re/code agree. Nor will Apple debut the SDK at this event. Perhaps the new hardware will be ready for display by the fall, when the TV subscription service is expected to be unveiled…

Earlier this week, reports surfaced claiming that Apple would also not introduce its subscription-based TV service at WWDC due to stalled talks with content providers. Besides the new Apple TV news, the report claims to have independently heard our reports that iOS 9 and OS X 10.11 will focus on quality and stability improvements, while also reiterating that the new Apple Music service will be showcased at the event.

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Comments

  1. Jack Broyles Jr - 9 years ago

    God I hope this isn’t true. Been waiting SO LONG…

  2. Mike Murray - 9 years ago

    PLEASE SAY THIS IS NOT TRUE.

  3. atokosch - 9 years ago

    I have a feeling that the media was making it all up, just like the guy that kept saying oh full blown Apple TV year after year. I highly doubt that Apple even had plans to announce this Apple TV at WWDC, the media was just trying to get attention, once again

    • Jeremy Horwitz - 9 years ago

      I was hoping that I wouldn’t have to wait all night to hear someone say this!

      • bipedxing - 9 years ago

        Are you agreeing with the comment, or just saying “I knew someone would claim that”?

      • Jeremy Horwitz - 9 years ago

        Oh, no way am I agreeing with the comment. It’s the broken record, not especially well-informed conspiracy theorist suggestion that comes up every time Apple opts to hold back a planned product announcement.

      • greatwizard1 - 9 years ago

        or, you know, every time the media overhypes an upcoming announcement, and spreads rumors…

    • daving313 - 9 years ago

      Where’s the link to the actual story on the NYT? I don’t see it on their site.

      Would be nice if 9to5 would source somewhere besides re-linking to all their articles.

  4. dray (@73dray) - 9 years ago

    For as much cash on hand as apple has, and for as small their product range is, why do almost all of their product announcements and ship dates slip. Still waiting for a Macbook Air update. And what about iPods. Music is not dead, it’s just gone to subscription. It would be nice to have a pocketable streaming player instead of taking my entire phone when skating or biking.

    • TrueCopy (@TruthCopy) - 9 years ago

      Why? Because none of the “announcements” or “ship dates” are real when we read them here or on the other rumor sites. They’re idle speculation based on random comments taken out of context, or blatantly made up stories.

    • The Z (@The_Zett) - 9 years ago

      They should just make an iPod Touch 6 and an iPod Touch 6 + Cellular.

      Pretty much a “pocket iPad” for music streaming.

      • Claude-Michael Comeau - 9 years ago

        The iPod Touch 6 + Celluar is actually already available. They call it the iPhone 6 though.

      • Ari (@ArioYazdan) - 9 years ago

        @Claude-Michael Comeau he probably meant LTE iPod Touch like the LTE iPad

      • Bali (@BayAreaLoseIt) - 9 years ago

        @ArioYazdan … and itʻs called the iPhone 6. iPad can also make calls, send messages, etc..You can always get an iphone and buy a data only sim.

    • Stetson - 9 years ago

      This is just how Apple works, and has for a long time. Build a product, keep iterating and testing, and don’t release it until it’s ready. People report on the products they are working on (but haven’t announced) and then call it a ‘delay’ or ‘slip’ when Apple decides to iterate on it another round before releasing.

      Also I think the portable streaming player for skating or biking that you want is called the Apple Watch once it gets its own LTE radio.

      • bellevueboy - 9 years ago

        100% agree. As watch evolved in to its own devices with connectivity and some form of sim, it marks the slow beginning of end of subsidized iPhone.

      • Robert Dupuy - 9 years ago

        It’s fair to say nothing is a ‘delay’ if you want.

        If Apple didn’t say its due on a certain date, then they didn’t.

        But on the other hand, if you let your competition develop a 5″ phone as Apple did with no answer for years, because it wasn’t ‘ready’ – delay or no delay, that let Samsung make some bucks without competition for a while.

        For my personal phone, I’ve had two iPhones, the original, and the iPhone 6 Plus.
        In between, I had android phones, because – Android had larger screen phones at a time, when Apple was busy ‘not being delayed’ but no product.

        I think its fair to note, that people have been waiting a while for an Apple tv that allows apps.

        Unlike with my phone example, I’m not really waiting on any other company to do that, I just suspect it’s going to be 100% cool when Apple does it. Because one thing they have – is developer interest.

    • Stetson - 9 years ago

      Also I don’t know what Macbook Air update you’re looking for. The old 11″/13″ Airs were updated with new processors in March. It’s pretty clear also that the new Macbook is the future of Apple’s ultraportable design.

      Maybe they aren’t moving in the direction you wish, but that doesn’t mean they’re moving slow.

      • SKR Imaging - 9 years ago

        I agree that the new Macbook is pretty much the future of the consumer laptop in Apple’s Lineup..I believe that in 2 years, the price will be more affordable (999$) and then it will kick off..

        the 13 and 15 inch Pro would then remain as Pro alternatives.. they might nix the Air altogether.. it would allow for a cleaner lineup..

        right now they have too many items in their laptop division (they still sell the mid 2012 model for goodness sake).. same goes for the iPads (the mini has 2 generations still for sale)..

        just have an iPad Pro and the actual Air 3 should be called the iPad (just add late 2015)..

        that would entail 2 divisions for laptops and 2 divisions for tablets.. reminds me of the restructuring done by Steve Jobs back in 1996.. iBooks/powerbooks… iMacs/PowerMacs… simple.

    • thud (@thud) - 9 years ago

      Well, at least as far as the Mac upgrades go, Apple is a hamstrung by Intel’s delays in getting Broadwell to market. And anyway, the MacBook Air upgrade came out a few weeks ago. It was really really thin and had one port.

      • taoprophet420 - 9 years ago

        My guess is Apple will release MacBooks with Skylake early next year and do a small processor bump to the Air and keep it around at a lower price. They could also just discounting both sizes of the Air next year also.

    • charilaosmulder - 9 years ago

      Focus, is the answer to your question about why they are “slow” at updating their small palette of products. Vision, is why they don’t produce any new iPods. The iPhone was always intended to be the best iPod possible, in a device that happens to do much more than just music, without the need to carry many devices. The fact that music is going from pay-per-album to subscriptions means iPods would need to get wifi/cellular capabilities, making them way too expensive compared to the iPhone which already does these things.

      And the MBA has been updated recently.

      • Magnus Hedemark - 9 years ago

        I would buy iPods for my kid. I won’t buy them iPhones. Not everyone who wants a great music device has any need for a phone.

    • rnc - 9 years ago

      Why?

      Because they sell by the millions. They need to have millions of those on the stores on day one…

    • Rich Davis (@RichDavis9) - 9 years ago

      Announcing the AppleTV product relies on several other factors and it’s probably not ready to release because they are waiting for things to happen that aren’t ready to announce. So instead of doing a half assed announcement, they would rather wait to make it a more impactful and meaningful announcement.

      Music subscription hasn’t taken over completely, it’s just another avenue that’s getting publicity because it’s new and the media is talking about it.

      I don’t listen to music while skating or biking, I listen to music at home on my stereo, which is where I have my entire collection. If I want to listen to any of my collection on my iPhone, I can just download it as I have iTunes Match, and I can also play iTunes Radio ad free and it only costs $25 a year.

    • I’m using an updated macbook air to write this comment.

  5. Apple-TV.dk (@AppleTVdk) - 9 years ago

    Noooooo!

  6. fringe30 - 9 years ago

    Well this sucks. This was the only real reason I cared about the WWDC.

    • silverhawk1 - 9 years ago

      The information is printed by the New York Times. Printing doesn’t mean it’s a fact. This is a rumor until Tim Cook says it is or is not.

  7. Joseph Frye - 9 years ago

    Been an Apple fan for a while, but their Apple TV has really struggled to impress me.

  8. chrisl84 - 9 years ago

    Well……there goes the one thing I was actually excited about.

  9. taoprophet420 - 9 years ago

    So August 25th iPhone event plus Apple TV preview and sdk release. September 4th or 11th iPhone release. Then October event for iPad and Apply TV release

    • chrisl84 - 9 years ago

      You mean “Early Spring” Apple TV 2016

      • taoprophet420 - 9 years ago

        No way it’s that far behind or they are struggling that much on content deals for the TV service. The features and size of the device have been rumored to be the same for 2 years now. Also in mid May they still were aiming for WWDC unveil. 7 month delay makes no fucking sense.

      • chrisl84 - 9 years ago

        Recode is now saying 2016….soooooo

      • taoprophet420 - 9 years ago

        Re/code said some industry sources said they’ve streaming service might not be ready until 2016 not A new Aplle TV. Again 2 weeks ago the plan was to show the box at WWDC and no way in hell would a problem this late in development push the release back 7 or more months.

      • WaveMedia (@WaveMedia) - 9 years ago

        Or… it was BS from the beginning. Stop getting your hopes up based on unfounded rumours.

  10. taoprophet420 - 9 years ago

    I would like to see a high fidelity iPod touch to go with a $15 tier for Apple Music That has lossless audio. A hi fidelity 6s Plus would also be appealing.

  11. srgmac - 9 years ago

    What the…not ready for prime time, what???!? They’ve had how long now to work on it? Come on…

  12. Paul Van Obberghen - 9 years ago

    If no new Apple TV next Monday, what the hell are the WWDC graphics and title supposed to mean? What will be the “epicenter of change”? iOS 9? Mac0S 10.11? One must be kidding? With what? A new San Francisco system font? Will _that_ be the “epicenter of change”? Something is way wrong here…

  13. ryancgoodfellow - 9 years ago

    If this is true, then I will be disappointed. Their invite said “The epicentre of change” and, in my opinion, alluded to a redesigned Apple TV with the home kit centralization that has been reported over the past couple of months (intensifying in recent weeks). If it has nothing to do with it, I wonder what the invite is alluding to… Because iOS 9 doesn’t seem like it’s going to be earth-shattering (see what I did there?) and OS X updates are always somewhat incremental and not ground-breaking (I’ll stop now).

    • ryancgoodfellow - 9 years ago

      I just went back through WWDC 2014 to refresh my memory and they somehow managed to spend 2 hours on OS X, iOS and swift. This leads me to believe that they can easily fill up the same time with the 3 operating systems and the new music service. It doesn’t mean I’m not sad. But is wwdc still really the appropriate venue to debut new products anymore? Seems like it would make more sense to have apple watch hardware as the “tick”, Apple TV as the “tock” because they are both in their “other” category and don’t have quite the same draw as phones. That’s just my own speculation though.

      • acslater017 - 9 years ago

        According to their documentation, a third-gen Apple TV (ie the current model) will work HomeKit just fine. Someone at their graphics/marketing department is probably spending today swapping out the 4th-gen model from all the Keynote slides.

      • o0smoothies0o - 9 years ago

        ‘other’ category? Are you referring to earnings calls? Just throwing this out there, the watch isn’t great yet, certainly not game changing, but if they put a blood glucose sensor in it, it instantly becomes the best, most important, world changing device Apple has ever made. Period. If you don’t understand why, that’s fine, I’m just stating a fact. Also, when/if that happens it will likely outsell the iPhone.

      • ryancgoodfellow - 9 years ago

        I couldn’t agree more with the previous comment. If they are able to measure glucose, it would be an absolute necessity for a substantial proportion of the population. I’m not diabetic, so take my question with a grain of salt: is non-invasive blood glucose monitoring available? Apple perfects technology, and this is definitely where it is heading, but is there anything out there to do this today? Even if it were, could they perfect it by the end of the year 2015? It would be incredibly exciting if they could. I think, as-it-stands, they will likely focus on perfecting what is in the watch today for the next 3 quarters before making their new product obsolete. I do have the watch, and I love it, a lot more than some of the 9to5 writers, to be honest, but I just don’t think they can expand it (substantially) as quickly as we may wish (similar to the Apple TV).

      • ryancgoodfellow - 9 years ago

        And for the comment about 3rd gen Apple TV, maybe I missed something… Does the atv 3 have a microphone in it? I’m curious to know how Siri would work without it and wouldn’t be different from using my watch or phone

  14. Wildcat1 (@Wildcat_1) - 9 years ago

    Hope this isn’t true, I think all of us would be fine with just a refreshed hardware/UI unit that allows the SDK so we can have native apps like iPlayer, Plex etc. These deals always seem to take forever when it comes to licensing so don’t hold the new hardware/SDK up just for that !

  15. WaveMedia (@WaveMedia) - 9 years ago

    I hate these stupid kind of “stories”. Someone comes up with the rumour they’re doing X. Few days before event, throw in doubt about X happening, then you can use the “They changed their mind” card so you don’t have to show the world you really just pulled it out of your ass. Pathetic, it really is. It’s getting beyond the joke now. It isn’t just Apple it happens to either, it seems to be the norm these days. Report all rumours as “fact”, then report a counter rumour as “fact” too that explains why rumour A isn’t going to happen.

    • xprmntr - 9 years ago

      Or, get everyone hyped up, then hyped down, then when the mediocre announcement comes at the event, people are more likely to be satisfied

  16. stevesous - 9 years ago

    Steve Jobs used to push them and drive them crazy to get products out faster. Now that Jobs factor is gone everything is slow.

  17. ericisking - 9 years ago

    This is gearing up to be the most boring WWDC for a long time…..

  18. jamessmooth - 9 years ago

    Well if BUZZFEED agrees…

  19. darkenv2 - 9 years ago

    If this is true I’m truly disappointed in Apple. They continue to have issues and delays with their products. The Apple Watch was announced with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus last year and was supposed to launch in “early” 2015. Well early 2015 turned out to be late April which was more than 1/3 through 2015, then the launch of that was botched and most customers didn’t get the watch until May and some are still waiting and they haven’t even let you purchase in stores until later this month which marks the halfway point of the year. We’ve been hearing all these great things that Apple is supposed to announce at WWDC and then we hear that the reported TV subscription will now be delayed and not debuted at WWDC and may not be launched until late 2015 or early 2016. Now the freaking Apple TV itself which hasn’t seen an update since March 2012, or January 2013 if you count the slight change they made, is now delayed?! This is ridiculous. I’m a huge supporter of Apple but I’m tired of them teasing us with these great new things and then hearing that we will continue to have to wait. Get your act together Apple.

  20. o0smoothies0o - 9 years ago

    This is proof that Apple does not temper expectations, if they did, they would have done it a month of more ago.

  21. Bob Smith - 9 years ago

    Another tim cook, john ive failure, time to go guys. After the yosemite screw up which still causes wi fi problems for most and the ios 8 screw up can’t they get rid of that pair.

  22. Gregory Wright - 9 years ago

    Relax guys – its only a rumor.

  23. No its true….. Dam television ceo’s can’t come up with a rich enough figure with Apple… oh Well , at least Apple had their shit ready. I would of pulled my product too. Everything that the New Apple tv is Based on is regular live television and Apple does not want to put the product out there unless it will sell like hotcakes. I can’t blame them one bit. It takes the Television Networks to make this Pop & they, (the executives) like
    Les Moonves will not sell out unless he gets a multi billion dollar deal with Apple.. oh well… Apple will come out with it in a few more months. It just has to have everything gel. That is how Apple Does Business, The only way. The right way. There way.!!! THE APPLE WAY…. Kicking Ass & Taking Names. “APPLE”

  24. iBarry (@barryson) - 9 years ago

    i hope is true, since this Mark boy running his mouth like a water fall.

  25. Leif Paul Ashley - 9 years ago

    Google just announced a whole echo system. Apple announced Home Kit last year, and we all knew AppleTV was to be the home gateway.

    If this is true, stressing IF, I would be very disappointed in Apple for the first time since Jobs came back.

  26. SKR Imaging - 9 years ago

    I was really looking forward to them announcing a new Apple TV device.. Roku, Android, Google, everyone has surpassed the current 3 year old device.. hopefully the wait will be worth it this fall.

    • bellevueboy - 9 years ago

      Please read the story about Apple TV today

      • SKR Imaging - 9 years ago

        the news story on apple TV doubles Share of Premium content compared to others is not an indication of a better product.. it just means that more paid content is consumed on the Apple TV..

  27. PMZanetti - 9 years ago

    Who cares about a stupid subscription? The hardware and UI are drastically out of date. Get it together Apple.

  28. bdkennedy11 - 9 years ago

    Fixin’ to be a boring keynote this year.

  29. Jeff (@Pragmatous) - 9 years ago

    mmhmm there’s no apple tv because it’s being renamed to homekit. It’s going to be the hub as well as your entertainment hub. Everything about the home in one kit. I think your source is just confused. It makes no sense for Apple to even have a WWDC without something to reveal. Right now Apple has nothing to show per your rumor.

    • buttersb06 - 9 years ago

      Uh it’s called WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference). They will have plenty to show; primarily changes in how developers program. With the announcement of iOS 9 and Mac OS 10.11, there will be a cascade of code changes to the backend SDKs that make Apple’s world go round. I don’t get why people feel let down by Apple. It’s a developer event. So even if they don’t reveal some big change to the AppleTV, i.e. releasing new hardware or changing the name to AppleHome, it makes perfect sense for Apple to have WWDC. There will be a ton of new things they need to discuss with developers.

  30. A new Apple tv is the new unicorn. If they really cared about this product it would have put more energy into it. It is still just a side project that they will tinker with when they have the time. If they really wanted this to be a product they would at least release the SDK a head of the product release so people could begin the dev cycle.No SDK means they have not put the cycles into the product once again.

    • SKR Imaging - 9 years ago

      I agree.. Apple should at least reveal the Apple TV SDK at WWDC 2015.. Like they did with the stupid Apple Watch.. They showed the SDK well before the product was shipped.. they actually did 2 freakin keynotes about the boring Watch.. Yeah, as you can tell, I’m not impessed by the Watch ;)… heck, even the Onyx MacPro had a teaser reveal at WWDC..

  31. b9bot - 9 years ago

    I would rather have them get the product right then release a product to soon and have it not work as expected. Let them work out the bugs so we can really enjoy the latest Apple TV rather than have to go on there support page to complain about it.

  32. Henry Johansen - 9 years ago

    Sorry about that…. Spent something like 5 minutes writing a comment, only to have it deleted upon submission -.-‘
    …. and I thought there’d be a way to delete it after testing it out….

  33. Matthew Judy - 9 years ago

    They could always release the hardware without the streaming service. If one of the new features of the updated Apple TV is the ability to build apps for it, then it would be ridiculous not to ship it at WWDC.

    • SKR Imaging - 9 years ago

      It would really be weird if Apple announces the SDK at a consumer event in Fall.. WWDC is THE event to release this device.. at least it would give a chance for developers to actually develop apps for this thing.. unless they haven’t learned and they plan on not allowing third party apps.

      IF they announce in Fall, it will surely ship for Christmas.. maybe that’s Apple’s big plan.. they really have nothing to sell for christmas (no more iPods in stockings) so they might be angling the Apple TV for the holiday season.

  34. chrisl84 - 9 years ago

    I honestly think Apple is scared of what they have started with Apple TV. They are afraid at just how much it might cannibalize their Mac sales. If a new Apple TV comes out that can connect to the web for 99 bucks most people (not Pros) would just buy an Apple TV instead of a 1300 dollar computer. Average people do not do much more with their computers outside of browse websites and check email/weather. Toss in a few games from an App Store and most middle class buyers would have no use for a full Mac anymore.

    • SKR Imaging - 9 years ago

      well that’s exactly what the iPad can do.. Apple is not scared of self canibalization as history proves… iPhone canibalized iPod, iPAd canibalized many Mac sales, Apple TV will eventually canibalize Mac Mini… the only thing that scared Apple was the iPod Nano square design.. they quickly removed it to NOT canibalize Apple Watch a few years later.

      • chrisl84 - 9 years ago

        The iPad aint 99 bucks and doesnt offer a “desktop” experience. A sit back and consume from a distance style interaction with multiple people enjoying at one time on a large screen. iPad is a single person experience. Not a social environment.

  35. jimgramze - 9 years ago

    I’ll believe it when I don’t see it.