The product never materialized in the 2010s, but Apple is now once again evaluating whether to launch a TV screen, according to Bloomberg. First, it will launch a smart home display.
In the late 2000s and early 2010s, rumors circulated that Apple was developing its own TV screen. The project was initiated under Steve Jobs, who confirmed the plans to Walter Isaacson for the authorized biography published in 2011.
Later reports suggested that the project was based on OLED technology and photos from a certification lab in China revealed something that resembled the concept.
However, Apple abandoned the TV project and instead launched upgraded media boxes with a new operating system, tvOS. Since then, the company has introduced AirPlay and Apple TV apps for various Smart TVs.
Bloomberg revives the rumor
Apple has not completely given up on the idea of taking on Samsung, LG and the rapidly growing Chinese TV makers. As part of Apple's new strategy for home devices, the project has reportedly been put back on the drawing board.
- "The company could also put more resources into developing mobile robots, privacy-focused home cameras and speakers. It may even revisit the idea of making an Apple-branded TV set, something it's evaluating. But if the first device fails, Apple may have to rethink its smart home ambitions once again," writes Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
The Apple TV 4K box can be connected to any TV via HDMI. Photo: Apple
First, a smart home display
The "first device" that Mark Gurman refers to is a home control center – a sort of tablet with Siri and AI. It is designed to act as a hub for a range of more ambitious home devices that could follow, potentially including a TV screen according to Gurman.
Apple's current media box, Apple TV 4K, is built on the same chip family used in iPhones. The box runs tvOS, an operating system with its own app store offering apps for streaming, gaming, home workout and more.
Bloomberg provided no further details so the TV project appears to be in an early stage – if it ever materializes.
- Source: Bloomberg
