Apple conquered the music industry with the iPod. Next, it conquered the smartphone with the iPhone. Then, of course, came the iPad. And not one to rest on its laurels, Apple's next big play may very well be the holy grail - conquering the living room.
Apple conquered the music industry with the iPod. Next, it conquered the smartphone with the iPhone. Then, of course, came the iPad. And not one to rest on its laurels, Apple’s next big play may very well be the holy grail – conquering the living room.
Steve Jobs has previously explained the challenges all companies face in taking control over the living room. To that end, Jobs somewhat cryptically alluded to “cracking” the problem of coming up with an HDTV that would integrate a bevy of features and would obfuscate the reliance on cable companies for content.
Fleshing things out a bit, the New York Times recently reported that Apple is, in fact, working on an HDTV set and that Siri may very well be one of its integrated features.
Apple engineers and designers, spurred by Mr. Jobs, have been struggling for years to find a new interface for the television. One of the biggest hurdles, according to people with knowledge of the project, has been replacing the television set’s annoying best friend: the awkward and confusing remote control. Apple would give people a way to choose the content on their television that is as easy as choosing the content on their iPod, iPhone or iPad.
Apple reportedly explored a number of ideas, form using iOS devices as remotes to extremely simplified remotes a’la the one that used to come standard with every iMac. Now it appears that Apple may use Siri, which originally debuted with the iPhone 4S, as a simplified method of input for its rumored HDTV.
Now rumors of an Apple branded HDTV are nothing new and indeed have been floating around for years now. Still, the NYT notes that such a product is a sure thing, the only question being when it will finally come to market.
I immediately began snooping around, asking Apple employees and people close to the company if a full fledged Apple Television was in the works. Several people, all speaking on condition of anonymity for obvious reasons, told me that nothing was actively being built, but — and this was a big but — I was told repeatedly that Apple would eventually make a television. “Absolutely, it is a guaranteed product for Apple,” I was told by one individual. “Steve thinks the industry is totally broken.”
Also interesting is that the report relays someone familiar with Apple’s supply chain who claims to have seen large parts floating around that belonged to Apple that could very well be for HDTV prototypes Apple is working on.
If you remember the noise surrounding the iPhone back in 2005/2006 (a year or two before Steve Jobs officially unveiled it), the noise surrounding an Apple HDTV seems very similar both in terms of detail and in the frequency of reports.
The latest rumors point to an Apple HDTV being released sometime in 2013 and perhaps introduced as early as late 2012.
If there’s one thing we can count on Apple for it’s to keep us guessing.
