John Paczkowski, reporting for BuzzFeed News:
Sources familiar with Apple’s plans tell BuzzFeed News that the company intends to announce its next-generation Apple TV in September, at the same event at which it typically unveils its new iPhones. […] Expect a refreshed and slimmer chassis and new innards; Apple’s A8 system on chip; a new remote that sources say has been “drastically improved” by a touch-pad input; an increase in on-board storage; and an improved operating system that will support Siri voice control. Crucially, the new Apple TV will debut alongside a long-awaited App Store and the software development kit developers need to populate it.
His sources also say that the subscription television service isn’t likely to be announced alongside the Apple TV — probably a 2016 thing. I couldn’t be more excited about this. But I really hope the new hardware still includes an IR sensor. I’m quite attached to my Logitech Harmony One and don’t want another remote on my coffee table.