The first Apple TV shipments have started rolling out to customers in preparation for the device’s launch later this week. As seen in the screenshot above, users are now seeing their shipment statuses updated on Apple’s website.
At the same time, Apple has now enabled users with pre-release hardware to search for and find tvOS apps, though the platform’s dedicated App Store has yet to officially launch…
As you can see in the tweet below, app search is now fully functional despite the current lack of an actual store from which to install them. Search is powered by Siri and the new voice-controlled remote, making it accessible from anywhere, which means users won’t need to dive into the App Store to start buying software.
[tweet https://twitter.com/thejumpstarters/status/659816761370382336 align=’center’]
Apple has not yet released the official build of tvOS, which will include the store and other features not available in the developer version. It’s expected that it will be published this Friday when the Apple TV goes on sale. A GM seed can be downloaded from the developer center. Developers who got early access to the next-gen boxes will be able to download and install the update on their devices and continue using the shipping software.
Update: 15 minutes minutes after this article was published, Apple released the retail build of tvOS. It can be downloaded directly from the company’s servers and requires a full restore in iTunes to install.
