Competitors Already 'Scrambling' to React to Apple's TV Plans
AllThingsD reports on a new research note from Jeffries analyst Peter Misek suggesting that manufacturers are already "scrambling" to react to claims that Apple is preparing to enter the television set market. And rather than innovating on their own, competitors are reportedly focused on trying to identify what Apple will do to revolutionize the industry.
“Based on our discussions, interestingly other TV manufacturers have begun a scrambling search to identify what iTV will be and do,” says Misek. “They hope to avoid the fate of other industries and manufacturers who were caught flat footed by Apple.”
Misek notes that Sharp appears to be retooling an LCD production line to suit Apple's needs, with mass production on the line reportedly targeted for February 2012. Such a development could put a product release sometime in the middle of the year. Previous rumors had claimed that Apple could announce its television set by late 2012 and launch the product by early 2013.
Whatever Apple's plans are, Misek suggests that competitors will almost certainly be six to twelve months behind with their own offerings, giving Apple a significant advantage in the marketplace if it truly does offer a revolutionary new product.
Sony has been the most visible company seeking to head off Apple's potential blockbuster entrance into the market, working to develop a "four screen" strategy across TVs, computers, tablets, and phones and investigating Web-based television services that would enable consumers to bypass traditional cable companies.
Apple has dabbled in television with its Apple TV set-top box and TV content available through the iTunes Store, but the company's ultimate plans are said to be much more ambitious, involving actual television sets incorporating Siri functionality that premiered in the iPhone 4S. The company has also reportedly developed a "new technology" for delivering content to TV sets and has expressed interest in offering "best of TV" bundles of shows, although content providers have yet to agree to such a plan.
Popular Stories
Apple's second-generation AirPods Pro are finally nearing launch, with a release expected later this year. If you are considering upgrading to the new AirPods Pro once they are released, keep reading for a list of five new features to expect.
In addition to all-new features, the second-generation AirPods Pro will likely adopt some features added to the standard AirPods last year.
H2 Chip
...
There's just about a month to go until Apple holds its annual September event focusing on new iPhone and Apple Watch models. We thought we'd take a quick look at everything that's rumored for Apple's September event to give MacRumors readers a rundown on what to expect when the first fall event rolls around.
iPhone 14
The iPhone 14 can probably be described more as an "iPhone 13S" because...
Apple's rumored 10th-generation iPad is currently in production and will feature "major" design changes, according to a report from Taiwanese website DigiTimes.
A mockup of the potential 10th-generation iPad design by Renders By Shailesh The report did not provide any specific details about the 10th-generation iPad's new design, but rumors suggest the device will feature a larger 10.5-inch...
Apple today seeded the sixth betas of upcoming iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the updates coming a week after Apple released the fifth developer betas.
Registered developers can download the iOS and iPadOS 16 profiles from the Apple Developer Center, and once installed, the betas will be available over the air.
iOS 16 introduces a revamped Lock...
The Apple Watch SE was announced in September 2020 and has been a popular Apple Watch model for customers looking for their first smartwatch or an affordable Apple Watch. Apple Watch SE customers may be wondering, however, what's in store for them with the upcoming Apple Watch Series 8 and what new features they can expect. Continue reading to find out. Apple Watch SE vs. Apple Watch Series ...
Samsung today announced the launch of the Odyssey Ark, which the company says is the world's first 55-inch 4K curved display with a 165Hz refresh rate for improved gaming performance. Samsung first previewed the monitor at CES, but it is now available to order.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Priced at $3,500, the Samsung Odyssey Ark features mini-LED technology...
This week brought some shocking news for iOS 16 beta testers, with Apple bringing back the iPhone battery percentage to the status bar after a number of years.
Other news and rumors this week included word that Apple has started recording portions of its media event planned for next month to introduce the iPhone 14 and Apple Watch Series 8, claims about iPhone 14 Pro pricing and Apple's...
Top Rated Comments
The idea of an "apple tax" is quickly becoming a myth.
Better than the wife, at least you can mute your TV!
If it weren't for Apple, we'd likely still have phones on the market with physical buttons and 2" screens.
It took years for Apple to sell iPods, iPhones, iPads and other devices to create a stage for iTunes. The logic applies the other way too. iTunes helped apple to create a stage to sell iDevices other apple products.
I have been using iTunes to buy music for the past 2 weeks and its unbelievably awesome. I am a collector person; I like buying vinyls, CDs, DVDs but I guess even I have to change with the world changing so fast.
iTunes is so awesomely integrated with all Apple devices and its so easy to buy and transfer music. It's just so seamless. And a lot of music is cheap too. :)
AppleTV is there and is coming sooner than we all thought and its going to change the way people see and listen to music, videos, movies, TV shows etc.
Other companies cannot just dream about all of this in a single day. Apple has everything in its playground. They just need to show it to us. These other companies don't even have a playground; they're just dreaming about it.
We will see where Apple stands.