According to Piper Jaffray’s analyst Gene Munster, it is quite possible that Apple could release a full-fledged TV in 2016. Munster has been calling for a new Apple television set for years, but Apple has yet to produce one, despite declaring an intense interest in this area. Nevertheless, Gene Munster believes Apple’s plan for the full-fledge TV set is coming together.
“Given how many times we have predicted a television and have yet to see one launch, it may be easy to dismiss our insistence of the television,” Munster told investors in a note on Tuesday. “However, as recently as 9/12 on Charlie Rose, CEO Tim Cook said that the TV is a category in which Apple has great interest in, given the experience is ‘stuck in the 70s.’ Cook also noted that Apple has ‘taken a stab’ at TV with Apple TV and claimed that it is an area Apple continues to look at. We also note that in Steve Jobs’ biography in 2011, Jobs stated that he felt he finally cracked the TV. We believe the evidence remains that something is there, the question remains when.”
Munster also went on to say that the earliest date consumers can expect to see such a device is in 2016
“It would seem that an Apple television is unlikely in 2015 and quite possibly in 2016,” Munster said. “We believe Apple still has work to do in terms of developing content relationships and developing a gaming platform. We also believe that ultimately the television can become a home hub as the connected home evolves. Thus the next step for Apple with regard to the television may likely be the introduction of an updated Apple TV box that includes some gaming and possibly Siri.”