14 DAY TRIAL // Apple will not fight the cable industry, but it will release a smart TV boasting a revolutionary interface in the first half of 2013, according to Gene Munster, a financial analyst with investment bank Piper Jaffray.
Munster is a long-time supporter of the theory that Apple will one day take over the living room with a unique interface.
He expects the device to include “Siri and compatibility with third party devices as well as potential integration with content guides, offering consumers improved control which should lead to greater value from their monthly cable subscription.”
Explaining that Apple doesn’t have to fight the system, he notes that “cable companies could charge a fee for consumers to use Apple Televisions ($5-10/month similar to cable box rental fees).”
Despite Tim Cook’s vocal reluctance towards gaming consoles, Munster and his fellow analysts at Piper Jaffray expects Apple to “ultimately enable the App Store so consumers can play games, listen to music, etc. on their Apple Television set.”
In fact, Munster thinks “gaming will be of particular interest given the large base of iOS game developers.” He imagines these games to be controlled by voice, iPhone and iPad, as well as “motion capture built into the display.”
Finally, the design will be “the stand-out center piece of the consumer's living room,” Munster estimates, arguing that it will boast “many existing Apple styling cues including aluminum casing and reduction of wires.” The screen will not be OLED, but LCD, to keep production costs down.
The price could range between $1500 and $2000. Munster’s take on the matter is that Apple usually charges a 20% premium for the logo, “thus a 20% premium to the $1,650 set-up [...] would suggest a ~$2,000 TV,” he wrote in his note to clients this week.