Why iOS Could Make Apple TV Succeed | Gadget Lab | Wired.com
Apple might be cooking up a do-over with its TV set-top box using a key ingredient: the iOS platform powering the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. It might just work.
Both The New York Times and Engadget recently published independent reports claiming that Apple would upgrade its set-top box with an iOS-based software overhaul. There’s a possibility the upgrade could also involve an expensive piece of hardware — $100, according to Engadget.
Apple declined to comment on the rumor, but Wired.com did discover on LinkedIn a few new hires on Apple’s interfacedesign team who have backgrounds in home entertainment and TV broadcasting, which might hint that something major is in the works.
It seems likely and feasible that Apple will expand the iOS platform to the Apple TV. Apple frequently refers to the Apple TV as a “hobby,” because it has been a modest performer. The video-entertainment industry has been a challenging environment for the company to swing a home run, because it’s packed with competitors offering a multitude of methods to watch TV and movies. Also, cable providers often subsidize set-top boxes, which sometimes include a DVR.
But iOS could be the weapon that enables Apple to invade home entertainment. Here are five reasons an iOS-based Apple TV could be a hit.
The Connected Living Room
As Altimeter analyst Michael Gartenberg said, “The TV remains one of the last disconnected devices in the household, and everyone is trying to figure it out.”
A large number of TVs include built-in internet connectivity, and Google recently announced its plans to share its Google TV software platform with TV manufacturers. While this strategy sounds promising, Apple’s iOS could still succeed with the same strategy that allows the iPhone to compete with Android phones — an elegant operating system tightly integrated with other Apple hardware versus a one-size-fits-all platform from Google, which will undoubtedly take a long time to refine.
While TV makers have been busy pimping out expensive 3-D televisions, Apple has been gradually iterating an extremely successful platform allowing customers to easily expand their devices with downloadable apps, while enabling third-party software developers to make money.
Huge User Base
The iOS user base includes more than 100 million users. It’s likely that Apple would include a cheap basic remote with a new Apple TV while upselling the device to the gigantic audience of iOS customers. In this scenario, people who own an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch would receive special benefits and more-seamless control when using an Apple TV.
From a strategic perspective, Apple would be pinning its “hobby” device on its blockbuster products, and that would be a wise move.
via Why iOS Could Make Apple TV Succeed | Gadget Lab | Wired.com.
