Rumor has it that we can expect an Apple “iTV” next year in time for the 2012 holiday season. I say, bring it on! The best part? Sources at a major Japanese company who are supposedly tasked with manufacturing the TV believe that there will be three sizes marketed, ranging from 32-inches to 55-inches. It seems that Apple is preparing to take on LG and Samsung, but the latter isn’t surprising. Apple and Samsung go way back.
As for LG, Tim Barnes, Senior Marketing Manager Entertainment, says this:
“We will see new technology and a new generation of Smart TV launched at CES in January. These TVs will have 3D TV capability as well as new Smart TV capabilities. This will allow us to deliver a new generation of content from the likes of Telstra and other providers like Red Bull TV, while delivering a new viewing experience for consumers”.
“If Apple does launch a new TV it will help us grow the Smart TV market in Australia with consumers upgrading to not only new TVs, but attach home theatre systems that will deliver for them a big movie experience”.
The thought of Apple working on a television should come as no surprise to us. After all, the company’s founder always found a problem with the TV’s complexity and wanted to slim it down with a fruit slapped on the back. Even in Walter Isaacson’s book, the late Steve Jobs said,
“I’d like to create an integrated television set that is completely easy to use. It would be seamlessly synced with all of your devices and with iCloud. It will have the simplest user interface you could imagine. I finally cracked it.”
What we can expect
As for specs, Apple is rumored to be looking into integrating the new Telstra TV app into their TV which will also deliver access to Foxtel for Apple TV owners. According to Bloomberg, an Apple insider said that Apple plans to let users seamlessly access television shows by integrating everything from satellite TV to online film rental services and iTunes. Also, it seems that the Cupertino boys are working on a way for users to call up programs using voice commands via Siri (which will hopefully make its way to the iPad), directly into the television. As for leadership, The Daily Telegraph reports that sources within say that Jeff Robbin, one of the engineers behind the iPod and iTunes, will be leading the project. Apple has declined to confirm anything, naturally.
Via: Smarthouse