Since early 2009, the rumor mill has suggested that Apple is planning to create and launch connected-televisions in the near future.
On the heels of reports last week that late Apple CEO Steve Jobs revealed in his new biography that he had “cracked’ the formula for an integrated futuristic connected television set, the rumor mill is once again grinding out speculation about Apple soon launching a branded HDTV.
“I’d like to create an integrated television set,” Jobs told biographer Walter Isaacson. “It would be seamlessly synced with all of your devices and with iCloud… It will have the simplest user interface you could imagine. I finally cracked it.”
On Monday analyst Gene Munster with Piper Jaffray revealed that sources close to Apple confirmed that the company has been building prototype models of the new high-definition television set since last month.
Munster believes Apple could use the new Siri voice activated system “to bolster its TV offering and simplify the chore of inputting information like show titles, or actor names, into a TV.”
“We believe that of the estimated 220 million flat panel TVs sold in 2012, 48% or 106 million units will be internet-connected, of which Apple could sell 1.4 million units,” Munster writes. “We believe an Apple Television could add $2.5 billion or 2% to revenue in CY12, $4.0 billion or 3% in CY13 and $6.0 billion in CY14.”
