O'Grady's PowerPage

Tag: TV

  • Rumor: Apple developing AI-based Siri chatbot for iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27

    Rumor: Apple developing AI-based Siri chatbot for iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27

    Following extensive deals with assorted AI developers, Apple is apparently looking to turn Siri into an AI-powered chatbot that could rival Anthropic’s Claude, Google’s Gemini, and OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

    According to Bloomberg, this wasn’t Apple’s initial plan, although the popularity of assorted chatbots on the market forced the company’s executives to reconsider.

    The Siri chatbot, codenamed “Campos,” will be integrated into the iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 operating systems and replace the current version of Siri. It will have the same natural language conversation functionality as chatbots like ChatGPT, and it will be accessible by using the “‌Siri‌” wake word or by holding down the side button on an iPhone or iPad.

    Apple is said to be testing the chatbot as a standalone app, even if the long-term goal won’t be to offer it in an app form. Instead, it will be integrated directly into Apple devices and powered via a custom model based on Google Gemini. It’s thought that the chatbot will be able to search the web, generate content, help with coding, summarize information, and analyze uploaded files. It will be able to use personal data on a person’s device to complete tasks, and it will result in a much-improved search feature. Apple is also said to be designing a feature that will allow the chatbot to view open windows and on-screen content, as well as adjust device features and settings.

    The new chatbot will also integrate into all Apple apps, including Photos, Mail, Messages, Music, and TV, and be capable of analyzing content within the apps to respond to queries and requests. Where the user interface is concerned, it will be available to communicate with via voice and type-based interface options.

    Apple is also said to be considering how much the chatbot will be able to remember. While the Claude and ChatGPT chatbots are currently able to glean extensive information about users through past conversations, thus allowing for personalization, Apple could limit Siri’s memory to address privacy-based concerns.

    Finally, the Siri chatbot will function as an upgrade to the more personalized version of Siri that Apple is said to be developing for the iOS 26.4 update. This version of Siri will implement the Apple Intelligence features that were initially promised in iOS 18, and the redesigned Siri chatbot will debut later this year with the release of iOS 27.

    Apple currently plans to unveil ‌Siri‌ chatbot at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June, after which testing of iOS 27 will begin.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors and Bloomberg

  • Apple reaches licensing deal, will stream all of the MLS playoff matches for free to Apple TV subscribers in 2026

    Apple reaches licensing deal, will stream all of the MLS playoff matches for free to Apple TV subscribers in 2026

    If you’re hankering for soccer on Apple TV, you’re going to like this.

    According to the Sports Business Journal, all of the MLS playoff matches will be available for Apple TV subscribers for no additional charge and without requiring the separate MLS Season Pass add-on.

    Apple and MLS are likely using the expanded access window to convert casual viewers into paying Season Pass customers for the 2026 regular season. Apple adjusted Season Pass pricing in September; for ‌Apple TV‌ subscribers, the price for a full season was cut from $79 to $25 and for non-subscribers, from $99 to $29. During the regular season and the Leagues Cup, only a subset of matches were made available to non-Season Pass viewers.

    The announcement arrives only days after Apple secured the rights to stream Formula 1 racing in the United States beginning in 2026. Per that deal, Apple TV subscribers will receive F1 TV Premium content at no additional charge. The content typically retails for $16.99 per month in the United States. Since 2023, U.S. viewers have been required to pay an additional fee for MLS Season Pass even if they already subscribe to ‌Apple TV‌.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors and Sports Business Journal

  • Rumor: Next-gen Apple TV to feature faster CPU, Apple’s combined Wi-Fi/Bluetooth chip, other new features

    Rumor: Next-gen Apple TV to feature faster CPU, Apple’s combined Wi-Fi/Bluetooth chip, other new features

    Apple’s current Apple TV 4K model was released more than two years ago and the rumor mill has it that a next-gen Apple TV model will launch in 2025.

    Current rumors from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman have pointed to the new Apple TV and HomePod mini devices incorporating a combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip that Apple is said to be developing. The chip would support Wi-Fi 6E, which would be an upgrade over the current Apple TV’s standard Wi-Fi 6 support. Wi-Fi 6E extends the capabilities of Wi-Fi 6 to the 6 GHz band, enabling faster wireless speeds and reduced signal interference with a compatible device and router.

    While no major design changes are said to be in the works for the next-gen Apple TV, Gurman has stated that Apple is considering the addition of a built-in camera. tvOS 17 added a FaceTime app to the Apple TV, allowing for users to have video calls by using the rear camera on a connected iPhone or iPad. If the Apple TV gained a built-in camera, users would no longer need to rely on an external device for video calls on the TV.

    As expected the upcoming Apple TV is expected to feature a newer chip for faster performance. The current Apple TV is equipped with the A15 Bionic chip that debuted in the iPhone 13 models in 2021. Apple has released several newer A-series chips since then, including the A16 Bionic, A17 Pro, A18, and A18 Pro. The new model could also feature lower pricing, and noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has suggested that the next model could have a sub-$100 starting price. In the U.S., the current Apple TV is available with 64GB or 128GB of storage for $129 and $149, respectively.

    It’s unknown exactly when in 2025 the new Apple TV would launch.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors and Bloomberg

  • Rumor: No hardware announcements expected during Apple’s WWDC 2024 keynote speech

    Rumor: No hardware announcements expected during Apple’s WWDC 2024 keynote speech

    If you were hoping for new hardware announcements at Apple’s WWDC keynote address on June 10, you might have to wait for another event.

    Per Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, there’s no expectation that Apple will announce any new hardware during the speech.

    “There’s no hardware slated to be announced at WWDC, unless Apple unexpectedly previews a new device launching later (to be clear: I don’t expect that),” said Gurman, in his most recent Power On newsletter.

    Gurman also notably stated that a new Apple TV model isn’t imminent, despite previously reporting that Apple was looking to unveil a new Apple TV model in the first half of 2024. The current Apple TV debuted in October 2022.

    The next Apple TV is rumored to feature a faster processor than the current A15 Bionic chip and even lower pricing. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested that the next Apple TV could have a $99 starting price in the U.S., down from $129 currently.

    The next-gen Apple TV is rumored to feature a built-in camera.. tvOS 17 added a FaceTime app to the Apple TV, allowing for users to have video calls on the TV, but this currently requires using the rear camera on a connected iPhone or iPad.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors and Bloomberg