14 DAY TRIAL // DisplaySearch, a company with solid ties in the IT industry, has published a report according to which Apple has abandoned plans to launch a full-fledged television product next year.
The focus is on wearables, namely the upcoming iWatch, according to chatter in Apple’s supply chain.
“According to sources in the TV supply chain, it appears that Apple’s long-rumored TV plans, which were far from concrete anyway, have been put on hold again, possibly to be replaced by a rollout of wearable devices,” writes Paul Gagnon on the DisplaySearch Analyst blog.
Gagnon adds, “...our own information from TV supply chain sources pointed to the fact that Apple appeared to be lining up resources for a product introduction in the second half of 2014, likely with 2-3 large screen sizes and 4K resolution.”
Those plans have now been halted in favor of developing a smartwatch which, according to many industry sources, will run a full-blown iOS and will sport a curved display.
Apple is known to have acquired technology to make tons of sapphire screens, which would prevent the rumored iWatch from incurring scratches and dings.
Regarding the television product, which Apple has been seeking to introduce for years, Gagnon cautions that “the hangup has always been the content.”
Indeed, the technology has always been there. However, Apple has failed to strike deals with the cable companies, making it impossible to deploy an expensive big-screen TV that would essentially replicate the functionality of the current-selling Apple TV set-top box.
Samsung has made a feeble first move by launching the mediocre Galaxy Gear, but it counts as a first step. As the race to conquer wearable computing intensifies, Apple will want to be there when the fruits are ripe for the picking.