Developer locates a reference to the next-generation Apple TV inside iOS 7

Feb 11, 2014 15:00 GMT  ·  By

A reference for Apple TV 4,1 has been unearthed in iOS 7 by a developer with a good track record. Hamza Sood made his findings public, revealing that a new Apple TV upgrade was indeed coming.

Handed over to 9to5mac, Sood’s finding’s reveal that Apple’s new device will heavily rely on AirPlay.

The code strings also indicate that Apple TV 4,1 is somewhat tied to iOS 7’s new Game Controller framework, which lends credence to rumors that Apple is making a gaming machine out of the next Apple TV.

All the pieces seem to be falling into place, and if history is any indication, Apple will deploy this new hardware no later than spring.

The company is expected to leverage the 1,000,000+ apps in its App Store with this new gaming-focused Apple TV, and the device is even said to sport a TV tuner.