Apple preparing to launch HDTVs in 2012
Whenever Apple launches in a new sector of the tech market, it has a habit of blitzing the opposition with glamorous new products.
After taking the smartphone and tablet markets by storm, If the latest rumours are to be believed in the Silicon Valley, Apple is planning to dominate the living room with yet another slickly-designed user-friendly device - an Apple TV
Apple already has some stunningly attractive displays on sale – including the Apple iMac all-in-one computer and a range of monitors for its Mac Mini and MacBook laptops. Now imagine a scaled up version – with the possibility of a 46-inch screen – and you may have a fair idea of what Apple has up it’s sleeve.
Current Apple products have stunningly vibrant and sharp screens, but it’s usually the build quality that set gadgets like the MacBook Pro or iMac apart from rivals. If Apple makes a 46-inch HDTV complete with an all-aluminium design, it’s bound to be onto a winner.
A TV would also go perfectly with the Apple TV streaming box, further integrating iTunes into your daily life. At present, the rumours hint at a 2012 launch for an Apple HDTV.
"Apple is working on new technology to deliver video to televisions, and has been discussing whether to try to launch a subscription TV service, according to people familiar with the matter," said an August 26 article in the The Wall Street Journal.
"Apple is almost certainly working on a digital television based on its iOS operating system, according to multiple sources in Silicon Valley," reported technology blog VentureBeat after speaking with sources that include Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster and Venture capitalist Stewart Alsop of Alsop Louie ventures. Steward Also told VentureBeat that "Apple will do to television manufacturers what it did to phone makers with the iPhone."
VentureBeat suggested that Apple's vision could "tie seamlessly into other Apple devices, like the iPhone, iPad and MacBook Air, giving the company an enviable full-circle consumer product line," and added that the Apple TV might function similarly to the smart devices seen in a promotional video published by Gorilla Glass maker Corning.
Apple has long been rumored to be working on a smart TV. In June 2011 a former Apple executive who spoke to technology blog DailyTech on the condition of anonymity revealed that Apple had teamed up with a "major OEM to sell iOS-powered, Apple branded displays."
Despite the continued rumors, many tech pundits remain doubtful about Apple's entry into the TV market. Skeptics say Apple won't enter the TV market because it has a very low replacement cycle (most families won't replace their TV for between 5 to 10 years) and low margins.
Earlier this year Google tested the waters by teaming up with Sony and other manufacturers to release a line of Google TVs and set top boxes that were designed to disrupt the market. The project was met with a lukewarm response, however Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt recently announced that Google TV will launch in Europe by early.
Source : The Gadget Show
