According to a rumor from DailyTech, Apple is preparing to get into the television business this fall by making a full-fledged HDTV. The site alleges that a former Apple executive leaked details on the supposed venture.
The report suggests that the TV will be powered by iOS, which currently powers the AppleTV set-top box available right now for $99. The report goes on to suggest that Apple will not develop the displays themselves, but will instead source components from a company like Samsung (with their nice OLED displays) to bring the product to market.
This isn’t the first time that this rumor has come around – we reported on a similar rumor back in March, and again in April, and several analyst comments, Apple job listings, and other tidbits continue to provide the traction necessary for this rumor to survive.
While I find the idea of an Apple television rather compelling, I’m not sure that a simple HDTV with a built-in AppleTV would justify the price that Apple will surely ask of it, and unless it can stream my entire OS X desktop to the big screen (which the Apple TV 2 cannot do), I’m not sure I’m sold on the idea..
How truly likely is Apple to enter the television market? I can’t say. But the huge amount of cash in their piggy bank suggests to me that Apple could pretty much get involved in any industry that it feels like without taking on too much hurt.
Your thoughts? What would you want in a realApple TV? As always, we encourage you to sound off in the comments!