A dedicated app store would let you play your iOS games straight from the new Apple TV. Flickr/Cristiano Betta It's been three whole years since Apple rolled out its last Apple TV. That was 2012, and consumers have been patiently waiting for the next iteration to hit the market, hopefully with some new features.

That time might be here.

Fresh rumors have been surfacing for the last few years and the current Apple TV's price dropped down to $69, which is usually a sign that a product update is on the horizon.

At Apple's WWDC event on June 8, the consensus is, a new Apple TV is going to be announced.

Here's what we know so far:

App Store

So far, our Apple TV experience has been limited to what Apple has given us, which, to be fair, is a comprehensive list of apps, or "channels," that stream video content. The only way to use other iOS apps on your TV is to mirror your iPhone or iPad's display over AirPlay. But that's not ideal, as you still need to look at your iOS device to know where to tap on the screen.

Rumors about a dedicated app store for the Apple TV would mean that you could install and use your favorite apps on your TV. It would be great to catch up on news with an app like Flipboard on your big-screen TV or control music at a party using a TV version of the Spotify app. But the best Apple TV apps will surely be games where you could play full-screen-TV versions of your favorite iOS games.

It would be much better than mirroring a game from your iPhone over AirPlay with the current Apple TV, which is a slow and laggy experience.

Samsung's curved 4K-UHD TVs on display at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. AP Photo/Julie Jacobson

New insides

Rumors suggest the same A8 chip currently turning the wheels in the iPhone 6/6 Plus will also power the next Apple TV. It should be more than enough to play most mobile games and run some of the new functionality rumored to feature in the upcoming Apple TV.

The A8 chip is also capable of outputting ultra-high definition, 4K-resolution video to a 4K TV, which could let you stream 4K content from several video-streaming services like Netflix, YouTube, and Amazon Instant Video.

There's also word about more internal storage for the new Apple TV, which could be used alongside the reported live-online-TV subscription service for DVR-style functionality, as well as adding more storage for third-party apps from a dedicated app store.

Apple's iconic Apple TV remote. Screenshot



New remote, Siri, and motion controls

Along with a new Apple TV comes a new remote, according to the New York Times. It could don a touchpad for easier navigation around a presumably refreshed or entirely new interface. And it will reportedly still have two buttons and will be slightly thicker than the current ultra-sleek, minimalist design. Either way, the new remote may need to double as a game controller for all those iOS games we'll (hopefully) be playing on our TVs.

Siri is said to make an appearance with most of its functionality leaning towards controlling internet-connected smart devices in the home, like light bulbs, thermostats, door locks, the list goes on. It may indicate that the Apple TV will act as a smart hub, which internet-connected smart devices need in order to function.

With Apple's 2013 acquisition of PrimeSense, a 3D-motion-sensor company, in mind, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggests the next Apple TV could support motion-gesture controls. However, there hasn't been much information to support this rumor, and it's doubtful this will happen.

The main reason why Apple is updating the Apple TV

The Wall Street Journal has reported that Apple is in talks with some major TV networks. That could mean the company may finally launch an online-TV subscription service, like Dish's Sling TV and Sony's PlayStation Vue. And it could stream right from the next Apple TV, as well as other iOS devices.

The networks purportedly involved so far are ABC, CBS, and Fox, and it may amount to 25 channels combined for a lightweight, base-line offering with a price tag between $30 and $40.

But don't get your hopes up quite yet, as Apple's plans to include live local broadcast with its online-TV subscription service could delay the announcement due to licensing issues with TV networks. Apple sees the inclusion of live broadcast of local channels as an important differentiator among the aforementioned competitors and therefore worth delaying any announcements.

This delay could put off any announcements on a new Apple TV, but the consensus seems to be that we will in fact be getting an announcement at WWDC on June 8.