'Apple TV Air' Concept Imagines a Simple HDMI Dongle

With rumors of a revamped Apple TV circulating over the past few months, German magazine Curved has been exploring some concepts to help get discussion rolling, beginning earlier this month with a new box similar to the current one but with styling similar to Apple's latest iOS devices and with a versatile iPod touch-like remote.

In its latest concept, Curved follows the trend of Google's Chromecast, Roku's Streaming Stick, and Amazon's rumored device to picture the next Apple TV as a simple dongle that plugs into an HDMI port on the back of the user's television set.

"Apple TV Air" concept (bottom) size comparison with current Apple TV and remote (top)
The concept envisions the "Apple TV Air" package containing two similarly sized devices: the dongle with a cap for the HDMI connector and a separate remote offering the same button configuration as on the current Apple TV remote. Both devices would be made of plastic to allow for a Bluetooth wireless connection to control the dongle hidden away behind the television set.

"Apple TV Air" dongle plugged into HDMI port
Apple has been rumored to be exploring a number of enhancements to the Apple TV, including enhanced game support that could see the launch of an App Store for the device. Apple has also been rumored to be looking at integrating AirPort base station functionality for the next Apple TV. Depending on how aggressive Apple wants to be with the new device's capabilities, it may be a stretch for the company to fit all of the necessary components into a dongle, but Curved's concept serves as a good focal point for discussion about directions Apple could take.