Apple Says New Apple TV Just a Minor Refresh, Not a Redesign

Yesterday an FCC filing revealed changes were coming to the Apple TV, such as a processor upgrade and new wireless chip. Apple responded to TNW and noted the upgrade is just a mid-season stealth refresh and nothing else will be changed:

“We sometimes make component changes which require an updated model number for regulatory approval…The component changes we made don’t affect product features and Apple TV customers will continue to have the same great user experience.”

AnandTech follows up and details the changes upcoming in this new Apple TV refresh. The unit will house a new Broadcom BCM4334 wireless chip, a single antenna solution also found within the iPhone 5. As for the new upgraded processor? It’s labeled as an A5XR2 SoC (S5L8947) (instead of the A5R2 SoC (S5L8942) found within the current Apple TV), as revealed within the Restore.plist file from the Apple TV 3,2 IPSW.

So this is just a silent refresh coming to the Apple TV, which is great for consumers.