Rumor: Apple To Launch New Version Of Its Media Player In June

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) might be on the verge of refreshing its Apple TV media player according to unconfirmed reports.

The device's third generation was launched three years ago and has since remained largely unchanged.

Apple will unveil an updated version of the device at its annual World Wide Developers Conference, slated for June 8-12 in San Francisco, according to a report March 20 in Buzzfeed, which cited unidentified sources.

Buzzfeed noted that the company cut the price of its current Apple TV last month to $69 from $99.

Several Apple-watching websites noted Thursday that the advertised shipping times for Apple TV have slipped to 1-2 weeks on the Apple Online Store.

MacRumors noted that longer shipping times have affected several Apple products recently, perhaps due to congestion related to the recent Apple Watch roll out.

But with the new Apple TV set-top box expected to be announced in June, "the timing is worth noting," according to the MacRumors report.

Apple Insider reported in October that beta software for the Apple TV suggested the latest version of the device could become a hub for remotely controlling and automating home appliances like lighting and heating.

Separately, Apple is expected to soon launch a streaming TV service.