There have been rumors of a television from Apple for a long time, but it still hasn’t appeared. Will it still be coming to your Smart Home?
We all know the Apple TV as a small box that lets you stream to your television through your iPhone and install apps on it. But a real television for in your Smart Home? Apple hasn’t come up with one yet.
Yet for many years there have been rumors about a television that would be in development by the company. So far, it has never appeared, but will that change soon?
How long has Apple been working on a television?
Some Apple products have been rumored for years without ever seeing the light of day. Consider, for example, the charging mat for your gadgets or the electric car. Both were in development but were never released. The same story has been true for a television for years.
These rumors were not surprising. Before his death in 2011, Steve Jobs let it be known that he was working on a television concept. Even after his death, that idea kept the company busy. Noted Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman wrote at the time that Apple had made several prototypes of televisions with large screens.
tvOS 18. (Image: Apple)
According to Gurman, Apple ultimately decided not to do anything with those plans. The company felt that margins in the television market were too low and that consumers were spending a relatively long time with their televisions. In addition, development costs were high.
Apple therefore put the idea aside, but in 2019 the rumors surfaced again. Then, too, the company chose not to release a television. Instead, it focused on its own streaming service, Apple TV+.
The Apple TV as part of your Smart Home
Now, five years later, the television rumor is resurfacing, but with a different slant. In fact, Apple seems increasingly committed to Smart Home products. With the Apple TV and the HomePod, it already has two mainstays in the home. Soon to be added to that would be a smart screen, specifically designed for home use and not comparable to an iPad. In addition, it is also reportedly working on a version of this screen with a robotic arm.
That’s not all. Apple is also reportedly developing a smart camera for the home. A logical next step would then be to tackle the biggest screen in the home, the television. What is a Smart Home without a smart television? Such a device can become the hub for all sorts of functions in a smart home. All of these devices then run on homeOS.
The Smart Home range. (Image: Apple)
Why it does interest Apple now
An Apple television could offer many advantages over the competition. With tvOS, the company already has one of the best operating systems for televisions, and with homeOS, one is also in development for the Smart Home. Moreover, consumers seem increasingly interested in exclusive models. Look, for example, at the success of the Samsung Frame, a Smart TV whose design fits perfectly into a living room. And just let Apple excel in design.
In addition, Apple has advanced screen technology. With nano-texture technology, the screen can offer a clear image even in brightly lit areas. Combined with OLED, this could be a great asset, as other manufacturers are still struggling with it.
Apple now seems able to create a significant margin on a smart TV, which makes it interesting for the company to release one. Moreover, a television fits perfectly with the company’s current Smart Home strategy. Is an Apple TV that is actually a television finally within reach?
