Is This Apple Upgrade Secret Now Busted?

Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) secret plans to upgrade its Apple TV set-top box device have seemingly been made public through a filing with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. According to the filing, the yet-unannounced A1469 Apple TV model will have a smaller form factor than its current iteration and will also see an upgrade of its internal features.

The new device will be a 93.78-millimeter square, compared with the current model’s dimension of 98 millimeters, the filing said, according to Engadget. It also suggests that Apple has tested a Broadcom (NASDAQ:BRCM) wireless chip, which is also used in the iPhone 5, for the device. Apple’s own A5X processor, which features in the third-generation iPad, has also been tested. Product testing reportedly began in October last year.

Recently, it was reported that the latest Apple TV software update supports three models of the set-top box — its second and third generations as well as another unidentified model. The FCC filing does not include any reference to an expected launch date. Apple TV last received a refresh in March 2012, when it got a faster processor. However, it has not been upgraded physically since its release in September 2010.

Ironically, the filing includes Apple’s usual request for confidentiality.

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