A reference to new Apple TV hardware has been discovered in iOS 7. The reference is to “AppleTV4,1,” which would be a new Apple TV, as the current Apple TV is referenced internally as “AppleTV3,2.” Though the reference has reportedly been in iOS since iOS 7.0’s release in September, it was only found recently by developer Hamza Sood.
Given that the model is shown as part of the existing Apple TV family, it’s likely that the new device will remain a set-top box, with upgraded internal components. The report also notes that new Apple TV software builds make references to iOS 7’s Game Controller framework, suggesting that some game controllers could connect to Apple TV.
It’s been reported that Apple has been testing new versions of Apple TV. We previously reported that a coming Apple TV update would add downloadable game support to the platform.