Apple TV featuring Siri and App Store will launch in September alongside iPhone 6s

An updated Apple TV featuring Siri voice control, an app store and the ability to control smart home devices will launch in September alongside the iPhone 6s.

The long-rumoured Apple TV update was expected to launch at the company's Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco in June but was delayed due to Apple's desire to focus the event on its Apple Music relaunch.

Now, veteran technology reporter John Paczkowski, who broke the initial story about the new Apple TV back in March, is reporting the new set-top box will arrive in September and will likely be launched alongside the new iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.

Quoting sources familiar with Apple's plans, the new device is even "more polished" but broadly features all the same functions as the model originally intended to be unveiled in June. The new set-top box is said to be slimmer than the current model, which has been on sale since March 2012.

Apple TV App Store

There will also be significant upgrades to the inside of the box with Apple's A8 chip (which is powering the company's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus) said to be included, as well as more RAM that will help drive the new operating system that is said to include an app store for the first time. Additionally, there is the software development kit (SDK) for developers to create apps for the platform.

One of the biggest updates with the Apple TV will be the refreshed remote control, which will feature touch-pad input. Sources describe it as "drastically improved" and it will likely allow you control your TV using Siri, a voice-control feature that Amazon's Fire TV already offers.

There has been a lot of speculation about Apple launching a streaming TV service alongside its new hardware, but that is still some way off, according to the sources speaking to Buzzfeed. The problem lies in the deals it needs to secure with a variety of networks and with those negotiations on-going, the service likely won't be launched until 2016.

As usual, Apple is expected to announce its annual iPhone update in early September at an event in San Francisco, with most reports suggesting an iterative 's' upgrade that will improve on performance and battery life rather than add any significant new features.