Last month, a proven leaker revealed that Apple has tested the ability to connect four HomePods to an Apple TV 4K for surround sound, with the HomePods intended to be arranged in front-left, front-right, rear-left, and rear-right positions. Now further evidence of this functionality has surfaced ahead of an announcement from Apple.


First, the same leaker known as "pdfu" has uncovered additional code related to a four-HomePod surround sound system in the latest beta of audioOS, which is Apple's internal name for the HomePod's operating system. For example, on the third audioOS 27.2 beta, he said that "Siri can match a speaker to its surround system."

Second, MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris discovered that the third beta of macOS 27.2 contains two new SF Symbols depicting a group of four speakers in a room. While the HomePod is not mentioned in the names of the symbols, one of them appears to show a basic top-down view of HomePods, and the other mentions that the four speakers are part of a home theater setup. The timing of these symbols being added by Apple suggests they could be related to the rumored four-HomePod surround sound functionality.


Apple plans to unveil new HomePod mini and Apple TV 4K models on Tuesday, October 13, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, while he said that the full-sized HomePod will be updated "eventually." However, it is unclear if this surround-sound functionality will require new HomePods. The leaker "pdfu" previously said that Apple tested two different setups, including four second-generation HomePods, and two second-generation HomePods in front positions paired with two unreleased speakers in rear positions.

It is also unclear if any existing Apple TV 4K models will support four HomePods, or if the functionality will be limited to the upcoming model.

Currently, you can set two HomePod or HomePod mini speakers as the default audio output on all Apple TV 4K models for stereo sound.

With new HomePod and Apple TV models on the horizon, and all of the mounting evidence across Apple's software code and symbols, it seems likely that Apple will unveil this new functionality fairly soon, barring any last-minute issues.
This article, "Apple TV 4K Rumored to Support Four HomePods for Surround Sound" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Starting today, the Apple TV streaming service is offering a new selection of "bonus" movies in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and some other countries.


While competitors like Netflix offer an extensive catalog of movies from various studios, Apple TV primarily offers its own original films produced by Apple. Over the past few years, however, Apple has offered a "Great Movies Now on Apple TV" section with a limited rotation of iconic movies that subscribers can watch at no additional cost.

The selection changes each month, with the following 13 movies added in the U.S. today:

• 28 Days Later


• American Gangster


• Black Hawk Down


• Blood Diamond


• Fallen


• Fury


• Going The Distance


• Good Will Hunting


• Insomnia


• Jurassic World


• Taxi Driver


• The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo


• Tropic Thunder

In the U.S., seven more movies remain available as holdovers:

• A Beautiful Mind


• A League of Their Own


• Definitely Maybe


• I Robot


• Master and Commander


• The Rookie


• The Sixth Sense

The selection varies in other countries. For example, here are the movies available in Canada:

• Catch Me If You Can


• Ford v Ferrari


• Godzilla


• Inception


• Jurassic Park


• Jurassic World


• Little Miss Sunshine


• Rocketman


• Spider-Man: Far From Home


• Spider-Man: Homecoming


• The Martian


• The Proposal


• The Social Network


• The Town


• War of the Worlds

In the Philippines, one of the movies included is Ready Player One.

In the U.S., Apple TV now costs $14.99/month, up from $4.99/month when it launched in 2019.
This article, "Apple TV Just Updated Its Selection of 'Bonus' Movies" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple Stores around the world are preparing to install new product presentations starting on Thursday, October 8.


Apple retail stores received confidential boxes earlier this week featuring "Do Not Open Until October 8" stickers on them. They are believed to contain new visual merchandise, which enables workers to update labels, graphics, and product layouts in stores around the release of new products. MacRumors received a tip-off about the boxes earlier this week, which it has now independently verified.

There is a possibility that the materials relate to the iPhone Duo, but it seems more likely given their confidentiality and timing that they relate to the rumored launch of Apple's smart home hub, alongside a new Apple TV 4K, and the HomePod mini 2. Yesterday, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that Apple plans to introduce these three long-awaited new devices on Tuesday, October 13.

If Apple announces the new devices sometime in the week of Monday, October 5, Apple Stores would need to update their displays for launch on October 13. For now, the exact timing of the announcement of the trio is unclear. Gurman's report used indeterminate wording, simply saying that Apple would "push into the smart-home market on October 13." This could be either announcement or launch.
This article, "Apple Stores Receive 'Do Not Open' Boxes Ahead of Smart Home Products Launch" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple TV appears to be unavailable for some users, following a recent outage of Apple Services that began on September 30.


The original outage took down the App Store, Apple Fitness+, Apple Music, and several other services, but those are all now back online. Only Apple TV is still not working for an unknown number of users.

Apple's System Status page indicates an ongoing issue with Apple TV that started on September 30 at 4:43 p.m. Eastern Time. "Some users are affected," the page says, adding "Apple TV may be unavailable due to scheduled maintenance."

We'll update this article when the situation changes.
This article, "Apple TV Still Down for Some Users Following Apple Services Outage" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple today finally shared release notes for tvOS 27, nearly two weeks after releasing the software update. Many of the new features and changes listed were already known, but we are sharing the notes for the sake of completeness.


tvOS 27 was released on Monday, September 14, but the Apple TV does not show release notes for software updates in the Settings app. Instead, Apple periodically updates a support document outlining what is new in tvOS updates.

Here is what is new for the Apple TV on tvOS 27, including video podcasts in the Podcasts app, AutoMix in the Apple Music app, the ability to set your preferred text size across supported apps, improved AirPlay performance, and more:

This update brings enhancements to the Apple Music, Podcasts, and AirPlay experiences on tvOS. It also brings captions to more content, adds the ability to block individual apps, and provides bug fixes and security updates for your Apple TV 4K.

Apple Music

- Hi-Res Lossless audio support provides a studio-quality listening experience.

- AutoMix transitions one song into the next like a DJ does, time stretching and beatmatching to deliver a continuous playback experience.

This release also includes other features and improvements:

- Video podcasts bring your favorite shows to the TV in the redesigned Podcasts app.

- AirPlay performance improvements deliver faster, more responsive connections when sharing photos, videos, and music from iPhone, iPad, or Mac to Apple TV.

- Transcribed audio helps you follow along with content when standard captions or subtitles aren't provided.

- Dynamic Text support in Accessibility settings allows you to set your preferred text size across supported apps.

- Individual app controls in Settings let you block users from launching specific apps.

tvOS 27 is compatible with the Apple TV 4K (2nd generation) and newer.
This article, "Apple Finally Shares tvOS 27 Release Notes With List of New Features" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

The next iPad mini, HomePod mini, and Apple TV 4K models have all leaked, just a few weeks before the devices are expected to be announced. Specifically, MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris discovered a few of Apple's official images of the devices, confirming their existence and some new features that are planned.


The most notable iPad mini details revealed in today's leak include an A20 Pro chip, a new speaker design, and a landscape front camera, while images have revealed that the next HomePod mini will be available in new colors like green and pink.

There is also evidence of an upcoming "Apple TV 4K (4th generation)" model, so it appears that a new Apple TV is finally coming soon after a four-year wait.

We have recapped all of our coverage below:

• iPad Mini 8 Leaked: A20 Pro Chip, Landscape Camera, and More


• Exclusive: First Look at HomePod Mini 2 in Three New Colors


• New Apple TV Leaked

October is a common month for Apple to announce products, so the new iPad mini, HomePod mini, and Apple TV 4K might be no more than a few weeks away.
This article, "iPad Mini With A20 Pro, New HomePod Mini Colors, and New Apple TV 4K All Just Leaked" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris has uncovered an image file from Apple for an unreleased Apple TV 4K, suggesting that a new model will finally be released soon. The image is specifically for an "Apple TV 4K (4th generation)" model.


The image reveals that the Apple TV will have the same external design as the current model, with all of its upgrades expected to be internal. Rumored features include an A17 Pro chip or newer, an increased 8GB of RAM, Apple Intelligence and Siri AI support, an Apple-designed N1 chip with Wi-Fi 7 support, and a revised Siri Remote.

The current Apple TV is nearly four years old, having been announced in October 2022. It is equipped with an A15 Bionic chip and 4GB of RAM.

With an A17 Pro chip or newer, the next Apple TV will have faster performance and hardware-accelerated ray tracing for improved graphics rendering in games.

With the N1 chip, the Apple TV will support Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.

Wi-Fi 7 has increased bandwidth, in part because it allows for data transmission over the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands simultaneously with a supported device and router. Wi-Fi 7 is theoretically up to 4× faster than the current Apple TV's Wi-Fi 6, but real-world speeds are bottlenecked by internet service providers and other factors.

Siri AI will likely be the headline new feature on the next Apple TV, with tvOS 27 expected to gain a Siri app on the device. Siri AI is a much more intelligent and personalized version of Siri that can answer pretty much any question. The bump to 8GB of RAM will enable support for not only Siri AI, but some other Apple Intelligence features.

A revised Siri Remote of some kind is expected alongside the new Apple TV, but it is unclear exactly what outward changes it will have, if any.

In June, Apple raised prices on 14 products, including the Apple TV 4K. In the U.S., the Wi-Fi model with 64GB of storage now starts at $199 (up from $129), while the Wi-Fi + Ethernet model with 128GB of storage now starts at $249 (up from $149). It is unclear if the next Apple TV will maintain those prices or be even more expensive.

October is a common month for Apple to announce new products, so stay tuned, as the next Apple TV might just be days or weeks away.
This article, "New Apple TV 4K Leaked" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Three iconic "Peanuts" specials will once again be available on the Apple TV streaming service without a subscription for a limited time this holiday season.


Here is when each special will be available to stream for free in the Apple TV app:

• "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown": Saturday, October 17 and Sunday, October 18


• "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving": Saturday, November 14 and Sunday, November 15


• "A Charlie Brown Christmas": Saturday, December 12 and Sunday, December 13

Apple TV subscribers can already watch the specials at any time of the year.

In 2020, a petition calling for the "Peanuts" specials to return to broadcast TV networks received hundreds of thousands of signatures. Apple ultimately allowed the "Peanuts" specials to air on PBS in 2020 and 2021, but since then it has opted to make the specials available for free for a short time through its streaming service.

Also premiering on the Apple TV streaming service this holiday season is "Snoopy Presents: 12 Days of Snoopy", "Fraggle Rock: A Holiday Gift," and more.
This article, "Here's When Apple TV is Airing Free 'Peanuts' Holiday Specials This Year" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums