Apple just pretty much confirmed that Apple TV apps are coming

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A new Apple TV is coming, just not as soon as we expected.

If you've been following the rumors, you know that Apple was supposed to announce a brand new version of the Apple TV, the little box that connects to the internet and allows you to stream video to your TV, at its annual developer conference on Monday.

That clearly didn't happen. 

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But it seems like the company has inadvertently confirmed that the next Apple TV will have something its predecessor doesn't: an App Store.

Developers have been noticing subtle references to Apple TV apps in Apple's own documentation, like the ability to test a greater number of Apple TVs and register it as a new device in the company's developer tools.

While developers have always been to download early versions of the Apple TV's operating system for testing purposes with their iPhone and iPad apps, Apple suddenly drawing more attention to the platform is certainly curious.

The current Apple TV has apps from a host of video providers, like Netflix, HBO, and YouTube, but allowing apps on the device would open up a whole world of possibilities that haven't existed before.

This means that third-party developers may be able to create apps and games specifically for the Apple TV, like they've been doing for the iPhone and iPad for years.

Leading up to Apple's developer conference yesterday, reports from 9to5Mac and BuzzFeed News said that the company would debut new Apple TV hardware with app support. The New York Times shot down the rumor right before Apple's event, saying that "the product was not ready for prime time."

Apple representatives did not immediately return a request for comment.