Consumers and analysts alike have been getting excited about Apple’s rumored television set for a long time, even though it has yet to be announced. Ironfire Capital founder Eric Jackson has even begun predicting how successful the device will be when and if it is actually released to the public.
Speaking to Forbes, Jackson spoke about the potential for the device, sstating that it will be a “seizmic shift” for the TV industry:
We live in this kind of sped up world. The user base is there for Apple. When new, complementary devices get introduced by the company, the pickup is so quick. I think iTV is going to be even faster than the iPad. It’s gonna be, potentially, a pretty phenomenal product launch.
If it’s at $2,000, that will easily match or beat what’s currently out there. Samsung has these Smart TVs that are Internet-connected, and I think they’re going for over $2,000. […] I think it’ll be a big seismic shift in the world of TV. It’s going to have ramifications to Netflix and the cable companies, so it’s going to be a pretty big event.
Jackson goes on to suggest that Apple’s television will appeal to more than just consumers – businesses will also use the device as a flip board or white board to help give presentations. He continues to quote Tim Cook’s statement that “across the year you’re going to see a lot more of the kind of innovation that only Apple can deliver.”
He continues, echoing many previous rumors that have surfaced about the device, including Siri integration and internet connectivity. Jackson suggets that the Apple television will arrive in early 2012, in a single size. He also suggests it will only cost between $1000-2000, and will be between 40 and 50 inches in size.
He also specifically addresses the posssibility that Apple would release the device with extremely competitive pricing:
I wouldn’t rule them out pricing it closer to $1,000 because I think they see this in the same light that they viewed iPad, where they took an aggressive pricing approach and knew that they couldn’t be matched from a supplier cost perspective, and therefore knew that the other competitors would be killing themselves for the next five years trying to compete and losing money while they’re at it.
Even in the best case scenario though – even if Apple uses their cash reserves to offer the device at an outrageously low price, it doesn’t seem likely that any television, regardless of who makes it, will outsell the iPad. Many people already have excellent televisions, and won’t be keen to replace them all that quickly.
Even so, Jackson’s comments are interesting. What are your thoughts?
