Apple TV app could be revamped into a streaming hub
The Apple TV app is being completely revamped, according to a report by Bloomberg. The app is being transformed into an all-in-one streaming hub.
While Apple continues to develop iTunes for Windows, the company ditched the macOS version in 2019, in favor of the Apple TV, Books, Music and Podcasts apps, while Finder gained some of its file management features. Speaking of iTunes, the app for Windows has been updated today to add support for listening to Podcasts and Audiobooks.
Coming back to the Apple TV app, the company is planning some interesting changes to it. Apple introduced the TV app in 2016, and has made some changes to it over time. It is capable of aggregating a variety of content such as your purchased media on iTunes, live sports, Apple TV+, and even third-party services such as Amazon Prime, Paramount, Starz, etc.
Mark Gurman says that Apple will discontinue its iTunes Movies and iTunes TV shows apps for Apple TV. The iTunes Store app for iPhones and iPads offer ways to buy / rent content, but the app will be updated in the future to remove the Movie and TV shows section. Instead, these options will be available directly within the Apple TV app. Users can already choose to purchase the media that they like, or to subscribe to other TV channels.
So, why is Apple redesigning the Apple TV app? Apple wants to make the experience simpler, and focussed on the Apple TV app. It makes sense, if users can access content from third-party services via the app, why shouldn't the option to browse the Movies and TV Shows sections be available on it as well? Besides, users will be able to rent or buy Movies directly through it. Getting rid of iTunes will declutter the bloat, and put all the media in one place, which is easier to access.
The overhauled Apple TV app will have a new interface will reportedly take a leaf out of Netflix's book by introducing a new side-panel on the left edge of the screen, which users will be able to use to switch between various categories. This sounds like it might be a good move, as the current version of the Apple TV app is rather clunky when it comes to navigating through the library. It could help with content discovery, not just in Apple's own offerings, but across entire catalogs of third-party services. And if Apple advertises its TV shows to the users, it may also help Apple TV+ gain some new subscribers in the process. These changes will not be exclusive to the set-top box made by the company, it will also be available on TV sets manufactured by other OEMs.
The improved experience is expected to be released with a tvOS update in December. Currently, Apple has been testing tvOS 17.1, which could be seeded to users this week. We can expect the new Apple TV app to ship with tvOS 17.2 or 17.3 update by the end of this year.
In other news, Apple has scheduled a new product launch named "Scary Fast" on October 30, to announce new Macs.
