Get more from your shiny box of joy
A few weeks ago, in collaboration with of Squirrels (maker of AirParrot and Reflector) and Beamer, we started a contest inviting you to share with us (and the rest of the world) your vision of a perfect Apple TV – the Apple TV of your dreams. The participation was amazing (thanks!), we got tons of submissions and a lot of great ideas. Here is a short résumé:
Citing Topeka Capital analyst Brian White, BGR reports that Apple will finally launch its long-rumored HDTV in the second half of 2013. According to the report, during his meeting with supply chain sources in China and Taiwan, White gleaned information from “unnamed sources” that convinced him that Apple’s “iTV” will be launched by the end of 2013 and it will include “a major innovation that will revolutionize the TV experience.”
Digitimes, a site that has a hit-or-miss track record when it comes to Apple rumors, reports that Apple is continuing to develop a TV that is likely to sport an Ultra HD 4K display (3840 x 2160). According to the sources, a standalone Apple TV set could launch by the end of this year, but it is more likely that Apple decides to unveil it in early 2014.
Apple has always treated Apple TV as a “hobby” device. The original silver Apple TV, the second and third-generation hockey pucks – these are really great devices, but, undoubtedly, they are not as “magical and revolutionary” as were iPods, iPhones and iPads.
It seems rare, these days, that Apple could surprise people when it comes to products, especially in the area of television. With all the talk surrounding Apple TVs, Apple’s potential HDTV, and Apple’s standings in the content arena, it is interesting to see that Apple has released a new Apple TV, model A1469, to the FCC yesterday. Though there is no immense news released in this filing, it is exciting to have a confirmation that Apple is still working on TV solutions, an area of its “intense interest.” The industry has been waiting on bated breath to discover what is next for Apple in this area. Perhaps, Apple is getting ready to tell us.
Are Google TVs, Android Set-Top Boxes, Roku hardware, and Western Digital HD TV devices hurting the Apple TV business, or its market penetration? It would appear not! Tim Cook, and by extension Apple Inc., announced during it’s annual earnings call that they had sold over 2 million Apple TV’s during their first fiscal quarter of 2013. This, for those not keeping track, is a 60% increase from the same time last year. It’s an interesting number considering the facts that the latest Apple TV (3rd Generation) is still without a jailbreak and that there are literally hundreds of other options on the market this year.
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