Apple hasn’t announced any plans for an HDTV, though speculation runs rampant that the company is planning its own television for 2012 or 2013. Now “Smarthouse” (http://macte.ch/TgF6P), a “lifetstyle technology guide,” claims to have knowledge that the “iTV” will come in three sizes ranging from 32 inches to 55 inches.
Quoting “sources at a major Japanese company who are involved in manufacturing the TV,” the article says that the iTVs will incorporate a new processor that will first appear in the iPad 3. A totally new software interface has been written that allows users to call up programs using voice commands via the new Siri personal assistant app built into the iPad, iPhone and directly into the TV, says “Smarthouse.”
The article adds that the 55-inch model will compete with new Smart TVs from Samsung and LG that will have new processors built in “while offering a combination of OLED display, as well as new Super HD TV technology from LG.” Last week Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster offered some concrete predictions at the Business Insider IGNITION: Future of Media Conference as to what the rumored Apple HDTV will be like. Here are the highlights:
° The Apple HDTV, which will arrive in time for the 2013 holiday season, will be a full-fledged television, not a set-top box like the current Apple TV.
° The Apple HDTV will come in a range of prices, but they’ll cost about twice what similarly sized TVs from other manufacturers cost.
° The Apple HDTV will offer seamless integration with your other Apple devices and service. The TV will come with a standard remote, but you’ll also be able to control it with your iPhone or iPad or via Siri. You’ll also be able to download console and other games, content, etc., from iTunes, the App Store, and iCloud.
° You’ll still have to have a cable subscription and cable box because Apple doesn’t have enough content otherwise.
Global Equities Research analyst Trip Chowdhry has said he thinks Apple will launch a new high-definition television in March 2012 with three screen sizes and price points. He thinks the Apple HDTV would be akin to Bose’s pricey VideoWave (pictured), an US$5,200, 46-inch LCD HDTV with an integrated surround-sound speaker system. Also, the analyst thinks any television set from Apple would have just one cable, would be about two inches thick and sport a 16-speaker, Surround Sound system.
— Dennis Sellers