Is Apple reviving plans to create its own line of smart TV sets?
The tech giant has considered crafting its own smart TVs in the past, and the idea may be coming back to life.
Despite pledges of high tariffs from President-elect Trump, Apple is plotting out an ambitious future for itself. The iPhone manufacturer is planning a new suite of smart home hardware and software, and if those plans bear fruit in the future, it could even bring back previous plans to develop a new line of smart TVs. A new report from Bloomberg has details about Apple’s strategy to embed itself further into the lives of its customers, and what would have to happen for it to consider making a smart TV of its own.
Key Details:
- Apple is hard at work developing a new smart home setup, resembling Amazon Echo Hub or Google Nest Hub.
- If that hub is successful, the company might move on to the manufacturing of new smart TVs.
- These sets would undoubtedly be higher-end, competing with devices like the Roku Pro Series.
Bloomberg is reporting that Apple’s new TV plans could hinge on the success of its upcoming smart home developments. The company is currently in development of a new smart home hub, one that is intended to compete with products like the Amazon Echo Hub. It would leverage the Siri digital assistant and artificial intelligence, and use many of Apple’s key apps like Safari.
If that smart home suite is a success for Apple, it may move on to other devices that can be used around the home. Home robotics are also a focus for Apple that may see greater prevalence if its smart home hub is a success, and that could even lead the company to think about introducing a line of smart TVs.
Bloomberg says that idea is something the company is “evaluating,” and stresses that the company could change course from that idea if its new smart home tech doesn’t work out. Still, it’s clear that Apple is thinking expansively about the future of its devices, and is not resting on the fact that its ubiquitous iPhones are so popular.
What would a line of Apple-made TV sets look like? They’d obviously use the same tvOS interface that Apple TV streaming boxes use and would continue to advance the company ethos of offering high-quality — and more expensive — devices. If Apple were to create a new TV line, I can see them trying to roll out something akin to the Roku Pro Series of TVs, which launched earlier this year.
They’d almost certainly include the ability to watch Ultra-High-Definition 4K, and might even try to include 8K picture quality. As of now, only a small handful of 8K sets are made by manufacturers like LG and Samsung. Apple loves to be a leader in tech advancements, and making 8K resolution more widely available to consumers could fit that bill.
Talks of a new line of Apple-made smart TVs could prove to be no more than hot air, but if its smart home ambitions are borne out in the coming years, it’s definitely something the company could consider.