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Game-changing Apple TV, cheaper gold Watch and an iPad keyboard all coming at iPhone 6s event

Published Sep 4th, 2015 2:08PM EDT
iPhone 6s Apple TV Watch iPad

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With all the leaks we’ve seen about next week’s big Apple event, it seems like the iPhone maker will not have that many surprises for the audience attending the major iPhone 6s extravaganza. After a series of leaks said Apple will finally upgrade the Apple TV set-top box this year, a new report seems to confirm that information while spilling more details about Apple’s upcoming releases.

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Sources familiar with the matter have talked to The New York Times and have confirmed that a redesigned Apple TV is going to be unveiled on stage next Wednesday during a massive media event. The new Apple TV will cost $149, the Times says, and will support third-party software including games. The device will come with a new remote control that could be used to make it “more of a competitor to the Xbox, the PlayStation and the Nintendo Wii U.”

The new hardware is expected to be a game-changer for Apple. Not only will the company open its set-top box to developers looking to create content for the living room on devices other than traditional console games, but Apple would also position itself in a better position to attack the living room with future TV streaming deals.

“More interesting than content deals is what happens in the app store,” Creative Strategies analyst Ben Bajarin told the Times. “Now that Apple TV is a software development platform, developers can now write for a 40-inch screen. That will immediately bring more interesting content and apps to the device, which is at this point more compelling than trying to cut a bunch of content deals.”

The iPhone 6s keynote will also bring additional hardware on top of the redesigned Apple TV. The company reportedly plans to release a more affordable gold Apple Watch and it’s making a new keyboard for the iPad that will be released later this year– likely one that would better serve a bigger iPad Pro.

The Times does not mention the 12-inch iPad but it does say that new iPads are also set to debut during the event.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.