Apple's standalone TV set -- the one Steve Jobs mentioned to biographer Walter Isaacson -- is looking more real by the day. Now it's made an appearance in a recent customer survey from US retailer Best Buy, The Verge reports.
'Apple HDTV', as it's called in the questionnaire about possible future products, is the first on the list, hinting Best Buy has high hopes for it (as we all do). There's some guff about Apple reinventing what TV can do, but then it goes on to the specs, which is what we're really interested in.
Best Buy reckons it'll be a 42-inch LED set with 1080p HD resolution. It'll run iOS, let you download apps from the App Store (with Angry Birds being the inevitable example), and support iCloud so you can stream movies, TV shows and music. You'll be able to use your iPad as a remote control and it'll cost $1,499 (£950), according to the survey. You'll also have access to Netflix, YouTube and Flickr. So far, pretty much what we expected.
But is this pure speculation? Among the spec list is a mention of an iSight camera, a brand Apple hasn't used in its webcams for some time. And it also mentions Skype for video calling, as opposed to Apple's own FaceTime. So this could well be Best Buy having a stab rather than going on any hard evidence.
The Verge has been able to confirm the survey is genuine though, administered as it is by Confirmit, a Norwegian research company, so the veracity isn't in question, only the actual specs. Previous rumours have pegged the Apple TV as being slightly smaller, and the survey also omits any mention of Siri for voice control.
How close do you think these are to the real deal? And what would you like to see? A set that watches you, perhaps? Let us know in the comments below, or over on our Facebook page.
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tbag 6 February, 2012 13:40
So its a 42" iPad with no touchscreen, my god this has revolutionised TV!!
Either Apple are all out of ideas (as lets face it almost everything listed can be had today from other products) or Best Buy (with the help of Cnet) are trying to generate traffic on their website.
As for the price, seems far too cheap for an Apple product, i can see them starting at £1500 for a basic model.
What’s this pointless queue that seems to have started forming outside of the Covent Garden Apple store.....
anonymous 7 February, 2012 13:02
I think it's just a prelim test of the market. I can't see people paying 1499 for a 42". $999-1299 max. SIRI will need a major leap forward and to work with wifi. iSight gestures seem much more interesting. They could bring ios games over and take on Microsoft.