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Report: New $149 Apple TV Will Have Universal Search

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

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With Apple's big press event all set for next week, rumors about what the Cupertino tech giant might unveil are going into overdrive. The latest from the rumor mill tips new details for the next-gen Apple TV.

Citing unnamed sources, Buzzfeed News on Wednesday reported that the upcoming set-top box will include one sought-after feature—universal search.

"Essentially, you'll be able to search for a show or movie once, and see results from all sorts of different sources," the report notes. "Instead of searching the catalogs of multiple video services [like Netflix, Hulu, and iTunes] one-at-a-time for a particular movie, you'll now be able to search all — or most of them — at once and then choose the service on which you'd like to watch it."

The feature will also reportedly work with Siri, letting you search for specific shows, movies, actors, and directors with your voice.

Meanwhile, the report also notes that the new Apple TV is getting a price hike. BuzzFeed says it will start at $149, corroborating an earlier report from 9to5Mac.

Apple is expected to show off the fourth-generation Apple TV at its San Francisco press event next week. Other rumors tip a slightly larger box than the existing Apple TV with the addition of Siri, its own App Store, and a new remote.

Apple downsized the Apple TV in 2010, and gave it a 1080p upgrade in 2012, but has largely left it alone in recent years, save for a recent price drop from $99 to $69. In that time, Apple TV went from a "hobby" to a billion-dollar business, but the streaming device market also got crowded, with popular offerings from Roku, Google, and Amazon.

The focus of next month's Apple event, meanwhile, will likely be next-gen iPhones, which rumors suggest will include a Force Touch display, a souped-up camera, and a new color option. PCMag will be there, so stay tuned for all the details.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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