Apple is expected to reveal the new iPad at a media event in the first week of March. The new iPad is widely believed to carry a ultra-high resolution 2048x1536 display that exceeds the resolution of 1080p content. Apple, however, presently only offers a maximum of 720p HD content on their iTunes Store. 720p also happens to be the maximum resolution that the current generation Apple TV supports.
We've already seen evidence that Apple has been working on a next generation Apple TV. Back in October, references to an unreleased "AppleTV3,1" model were found in the latest versions of iOS 5. Meanwhile, Apple has reportedly asked movie studios to start submitting 1080p content to the iTunes Store late last year.
A Retina Display iPad would represent an opportunity for Apple to launch a 1080p iTunes Store. It would also make sense for it to correspond to an Apple TV update. 9to5Mac now notes that stock of the current generation Apple TV is running low amongst retailers such as BestBuy, Target and Amazon. The timing suggests that the Apple TV could be getting a refresh around the same timeframe as the iPad.
The Apple TV is a product that we haven't tracked in our Buyer's Guide. The reason is that the Apple TV is unique in that it is more of a living room appliance whose primary purpose is to play iTunes content on your television. As a result, as long as the Apple TV can play all current iTunes content, there's been no compelling reason for Apple to offer a major hardware upgrade. In October, we wrote:
So, we can't be certain when Apple might be launching a new Apple TV, but believe it would be tied to other offerings, either 1080p HD iTunes content or another television initiative altogether.
If Apple does see the iPad 3 as an a opportunity to launch the rumored 1080p iTunes Store, then it seems likely the Apple TV will follow.
Monday September 30, 2024 9:03 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Verizon is currently experiencing a major outage that is affecting many customers across the U.S., including iPhone users. Affected users may be unable to send or receive phone calls, send or receive text messages, or use cellular data. As a result of the network being down, many affected iPhone users are seeing "SOS" displayed in their device's status bar. In a support document, Apple says...
Friday September 27, 2024 6:14 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple is set to release iOS 18.1 in October, bringing the first set of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update marks a significant step forward in Apple's AI integration, offering a new Siri contextually-aware experience and a range of additional capabilities powered by on-device machine learning and large language models. There are a couple of handy new...
Friday September 27, 2024 11:47 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple will likely hold another event in October this year to announce new Macs and iPads. If so, it would be the fourth time in the last five years that Apple has held an event in October. Last year, Apple held a virtual event on Monday, October 30 to announce new MacBook Pro and iMac models with the M3 series of chips. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we...
Tuesday October 1, 2024 5:47 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch sometime in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as...
Monday September 30, 2024 8:16 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
While a Chinese regulatory filing showed that all iPhone 16 models are rated for up to 45W charging speeds, tests have since shown that the devices do not actually charge this fast. However, there are still improvements. ChargerLAB last week tested the iPhone 16 Pro Max with a variety of Apple and third-party chargers, and it found that the device achieved maximum sustained charging speeds...
Tuesday October 1, 2024 3:14 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple's budget-friendly iPhone SE is set for a major overhaul with a fourth generation model expected to launch in spring 2025. The upcoming model will mark a significant departure from its predecessors, adopting several features from higher-end iPhones while maintaining its position as the most affordable new model in Apple's lineup. According to recent reports, the iPhone SE 4 will sport a ...
Tuesday October 1, 2024 1:57 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple plans to release new MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac mini models with the M4 series of chips "this year," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman initially said these Macs would likely be announced during a virtual event this October, but he has been more vague about the timing lately, with wording such as "in the coming weeks" and now merely "this year." In any case, it is clear that...
Monday September 30, 2024 2:55 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple could release an iPad-like smart home accessory based on its homeOS platform as early as next year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman reports that the display will run Apple apps like Calendar, Notes, and Home, and will feature an interface "optimized for controlling home appliances and quickly seeing information." Apple's...
Apple will be left behind if it does not start offering unlimited streaming movies for a flat monthly subscription. It's already getting killed by Amazon, Netflix, LoveFilm, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, 4OD etc
Unfortunately, I think Apple sees the iTunes Store competing against Blu-ray and video on demand (PPV), not Netflix or the like.
One thing I hope they launch with the new iPad is iCloud for Movies. Surely it's coming.
1080p ≠ good, actually. Blu Ray is 1080p, but it is compressed enough that the quality is still not so good. I found my DVD player with a 1080p upscaler higher quality than Blu Ray with the exception of the colors not being as good.
My mom's 1080p AVCHD camcorder is lower quality than my HDV tape camera in 720p or 1080i.
Did I read that right? A DVD player that upscales to 1080p looks better than a high bitrate 1080p bluray itself?
I dunno, I honestly would have thought a video at 1920x1080 up to 50 mbps would look better than a video at 720x480 up to 10mbps.
1080p ≠ good, actually. Blu Ray is 1080p, but it is compressed enough that the quality is still not so good. I found my DVD player with a 1080p upscaler higher quality than Blu Ray with the exception of the colors not being as good,.
Then you have the world's crappiest BD player. There is NO WAY that SD looks better than 1080P if all things are set up the correct way.
Apple will be left behind if it does not start offering unlimited streaming movies for a flat monthly subscription. It's already getting killed by Amazon, Netflix, LoveFilm, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, 4OD etc
