According to a recent report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the Cupertino-based company “may revisit the idea of an Apple-branded TV,” which he said it has been “evaluating” for some time.
Rumors about an Apple TV first surfaced almost 14 years ago, although Steve Jobs later rejected the idea of a TV, claiming that there was no market for it at the time. Later, we found out that in one of his biographies, Jobs described a plan for an “integrated” Apple TV.
However, according to Gurman, an Apple TV will likely not appear if some of Apple’s rumored hardware releases fall through. One such release involves a smart home device similar to Google’s Nest Hub, essentially an iPad attached to a wall. It will offer integration with all other Apple smart devices and the ability to control them.
According to forecasts, it will run on a new operating system called homeOS and will feature Apple’s new and finally smart Siri and the all-new Apple Intelligence system.
Earlier this month, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also heard about another possible Apple release: a smart home IP (Internet Protocol) camera. Apple will reportedly equip this product with updated Siri and Apple Intelligence.
The Cupertino-based company seems to be very interested in smart home technology lately. Apple is reportedly toying with the idea of producing a completely new smart home device. It is different from the Nest nest-like hub we talked about earlier. It will be an improved version of the existing HomePod.
Gurman predicts that the HomePod will have a screen the size of two iPhones placed side by side so that users can make video calls, browse the web and check the calendar, as well as perform other tasks. The updated HomePod will look like a vintage 2002 iMac G4.
It also hints at another potential release that could follow the iMac G4-style HomePod: a more premium smart home device with a larger screen. This device will be controlled by a robotic arm that moves the screen so that it follows you around the room. Forecasts point to a whopping $1,000 price tag for this product.
A prediction from 9to5Mac that I found valuable was that “Apple probably really wants to push the idea of using the Apple Vision Pro as a home theater, and this goes against its plans.” If Apple soon realizes that its TV could kill the XR headset (and more), it may abandon its plan.
