Apple is working on a new version of the Apple TV, which could potentially come with a built-in camera for FaceTime and additional applications, as per the latest reports. We have been hearing details on the product for a long time, and rumors regarding it have surfaced again. While Apple already has a mechanism in place to use FaceTime on the Apple TV, it requires an iPhone or iPad, which can be used as a webcam for the bigger display.
As mentioned, Apple is possibly working on a new Apple TV model that will include a camera built into the set-top box, eliminating the need to use a dedicated iPhone or iPad as the webcam. Last year, with the release of tvOS 17, Apple TV users gained the new FaceTime app, which allowed them to make video calls through their television. While FaceTime makes a lot of sense for Apple TV, as it is attached to a bigger display, the company has remained shy about introducing video calling capabilities until last year.
Mark Gurman from Bloomberg states in his latest Power On newsletter that the forthcoming Apple TV model will feature "gesture-based controls," potentially for controlling reactions on FaceTime, as the company could be working on an identical approach as it did with iOS and iPadOS. Gurman did not provide additional details on what the gestures will be used for on the Apple TV and if gestures would be able to control the device on a system level.
In iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS 14, Apple already offers gesture-based controls in FaceTime that allow users to express with animated 3D effects. Henceforth, we can presume that FaceTime on the Apple TV will work similarly, but on a much bigger screen, but it remains to be if the analyst is referring to the same reactions instead of
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