Apple could be working on a new Apple TV that would be 4K capable. Further, the upcoming Apple TV could also feature built-in HDR modes for better color depiction and richer contrasts.
Of course, all of these are speculations at the moment but does have a solid footing in that relevant codes having mention of the said features have been found in the HomePod firmware. That is not all as the supported HDR mode comprises of both the 10 bit and the the Dolby Vision Formats as well.
The HLG mode, otherwise known as the Hybrid Log Gamma too will likely be part of the offering. HLG happens to be the result of a joint development effort on part of the BBC and NHK and seems set to be another standard that would be part of the HDR mode the new Apple TV will be compliant with.
The credit for the above discovery is attributable to Developer Guilherme Rambo who first reported of the specific pieces of code hidden deep inside the HomePod firmware. References to HDR10 and Dolby were also discovered by Rambo. However, that the HLG standard too is going to be part of HDR mode has been reported by an AppleInsider regular, Marc Bach.
The above revelations, however, isn’t exactly a surprising development considering that Apple too had earlier hinted about its forthcoming 4K and HDR plans on the iTunes Store. Such features again aren’t exactly innovative as competition already has moved on to such standards. Apple, in fact, is just playing catch-up as most of its products have a maximum resolution of only 1080p.
Meanwhile, another interesting revelation that also has its origins in HomePod firmware serves to reinforce what already has been speculated for some time, that the upcoming iPhone 8 will come with face scanning software. In that case, your entire face will serve as the password and would serve to unlock your phone.
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The feature is also believed to be robust enough to allow for easy recognition even if the device lies flat on the surface. That again will be a nice development compared to Microsoft’s iris scanner on its Surface Pro devices or the Lumia 950 and 950 XL, all of which allow for your iris to serve as the password. However, with the Microsoft offering, you need to hold the device right in front of you for it to work.
Apple’s feature is being referred to internally as Pearl and would serve to be an evolution over the fingerprint sensor that Apple had so famously introduced with the iPhone 5S device back in 2013. The feature has since become mainstream and has been employed by most other phone maker as the primary means of user authentication.
