Count on Apple iTV in 2012, Analyst Says

by Leslie Meredith, Senior Writer, TechNewsDaily

30 November 2011 04:21 PM ET

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The rumors that Apple will launch an actual TV have hit the headlines again following comments made today (Nov. 30) by analyst Gene Munster at an industry conference. Munster went so far as to tell his audience at the Ignition: Future of Media conference in New York City to wait to buy a new TV, because Apple’s TV is “going to be awesome.”

By manufacturing its own TVs, Apple would fulfill the last wish of co-founder Steve Jobs, according to Jobs biographer Walter Isaacson. He quoted Jobs as saying : “I'd like to create an integrated television set that is completely easy to use. It would be seamlessly synced with all of your devices and with iCloud. No longer would users have to fiddle with complex remotes for DVD players and cable channels. It will have the simplest user interface you could imagine. I finally cracked it.”

Jobs died Oct. 5 at age 56.

"Steve Jobs was the master at 'just one more thing,'" Munster said in an interview on ABC News’ "Nightline," "and this was his last one thing."

Rumored details

The rumors have Apple launching its TV in time for the holidays in 2012. The HDTVs would come in a range of sizes and would sell at twice the price of same-size rivals. The new TVs will appeal to young Apple fanatics who can't afford or don't have room for a 50-inch flat screen, Munster said.

While the TV would come with a standard remote, users also would be able to control it with another Apple device such as an iPhone or iPad via Siri , Apple’s newly integrated voice-to-text feature in iOS 5. Content will be available for download from iTunes, the App Store and iCloud, but Munster claimed that wouldn’t be enough to satisfy users and they will opt to keep their cable subscriptions.

“Apple's TV will be the first TV that thinks the way you do. Instead of trying to remember what channel ESPN is on, for example, you'll just fire up 'ESPN' " by speaking it, he said.

While Apple TV could be the first voice-activated HDTV, its "wow" factor might be sapped by Microsoft, which is adding voice and gesture control to the big screen via its Xbox Dashboard update Dec. 6.

An actual Apple TV (dubbed "iTV" by the press) would kill Apple TV, the company’s 4-year-old streaming media player, which has struggled against the likes of Roku . But could Apple TVs secure a position in the competitive HDTV market? Munster is optimistic, but price-conscious consumers might think otherwise.