Apple May Be Going Big with its Upcoming iTVs
Apple won’t be attending the January 10th CES this year – it never does – but there’s still a lot of buzz about the Cupertino-based company’s rumored Internet-connected iTV, which many tech experts believe Apple to be working on.
An iTV would be able to consume and share content and data with other Apple devices and laptops, using Apple’s iCloud. Such a TV is believed to sport Siri integration, iTunes integration, and App Store access.
Steve Wozniak, Apple co-founder, thinks Apple will design an iTV. “I do expect Apple to make an attempt, since I expect the living room to remain a center for family entertainment, and that touches on all areas of consumer products that Apple is already making.”
According to analysts and insiders, we haven’t seen an Apple iTV yet because Apple has had trouble securing content deals, which are vital to making the iTV a hit. Without access to first-tier TV network programs for its iTunes TV service, Apple’s TV is less likely to succeed.
Because of the lack of content deals and the fact that Apple has not ordered production panels for TVs, the Apple smart television is not likely to make an appearance in 2012. Sorry, Apple fans!
Early reports mentioned that Apple was working on several TVs as small as 32 inches, but that may not be the case. It looks like the company is working on a 42-inch or even larger LCD TV that has built-in Wi-Fi. A source who worked at Apple says that there’s a 50-inch TV in Jonathan Ive’s studio.
A 42-inch or bigger Apple TV sounds… expensive! No doubt Apple will add all the bells and whistles that make such a purchase worthwhile though. I’m okay with spending a little extra cash for some serious home integration, especially if that includes voice activation via Siri and apps that can be played directly on the TV. As it happens, my TV is getting a little long in the tooth and 2013 will be the year to replace it.
Would you pay extra for the features and design that come with an Apple smart TV? What do you think Apple is going to use as a price point for a 42-inch set? Let us know what you think in the comments.
[via USA Today]