Owners of the latest Apple TV are getting some upgrades to help make controlling their televisions easier.
Apple (AAPL) announced updated software, tvOS 9.2, for the set-top box on Monday that provides voice control and a new way to organize apps.
Users will now be able to use their voices to input text, like a password or username, and use the Apple TV remote’s built-in microphone to search for a particular show. The technology eliminates the need for users to hunt for letters on-screen and tap to select a character.
In addition, the new software lets users search the App Store with help from Apple’s virtual personal assistant Siri, hopefully making it easier for users to find the apps they want by using the cloud-based service’s virtual intelligence.
Apple is also giving users the ability to bundle multiple apps into a single folder and name it whatever they’d like. Folders become a critical feature in iOS and Android as users add more apps to their devices. With folders, apps can be kept in categories so they can be found more easily than if scattered across multiple pages.
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The update, tested by developers since January, is the second major one to come to the latest Apple TV. Little has changed from what developers had access to and what Apple announced on Monday, so most of the updates were expected.
The fourth version of Apple TV was unveiled last September and shipped in October. Unlike the previous two generations, the latest model comes with onboard storage that lets users store content, such as apps, directly on the device.
Previously, Apple CEO Tim Cook has said that apps would be the “future of TV,” and he has since argued that the Apple TV could play a critical role in bringing more apps to the living room. At his company’s press event at its headquarters in Cupertino, Calif. On Monday, Cook reiterated that idea.
He added that there are now 5,000 apps available for Apple TV. He also claimed that the latest model is the company’s best-selling Apple TV to-date.
Cook’s comments came as Apple introduced a series of minor upgrades to its products including the 4 inch iPhone SE, as well as a 9.7-inch iPad Air. Apple also showcased new watchbands for the company’s Apple Watch and bragged about its environmental preservation and privacy.
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The Apple TV has gained considerable traction since it was introduced in 2007. At that time of its debut, late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs called Apple TV a “hobby,” and it was seemingly viewed as such for the first couple of years under his successor, Cook.
However, last year the company improved the device to more effectively compete with the likes of Roku and Amazon (AMZN), which had made apps central in their own set-top boxes. Apple’s previous two set-top boxes only streamed content and limited app availability to whatever Apple downloaded directly to the software, which limited their usability.
Now, though, Apple seems committed to the Apple TV. In his comments on Monday, Cook promised that more new features were coming.
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The new Apple TV operating system is available now as a free upgrade. The device cost $149 for 32GB of storage and $199 for 64GB of storage.
