According to Jeffries analyst Peter Misek, the relationship between Apple and Samsung has soured to a point where Apple is now considering using more Sharp LCD panels in its upcoming rumoured mythical iTV (are we calling it that now?). Not only will it shift more production to Sharp for the television, it may also tap the panel manufacturer for screens for its next iPhone 5 and iPad 3 as well.
Misek bases his assertions on checks with suppliers on a recent trip to Japan, and notes that Sharp, Samsung and LG are all manufacturing panels for Apple, but a share of production has shifted to Sharp in light of recent animosity between Apple and Samsung.
All of this falls under the category of “rank speculation,” and as such it made me think of an episode of Mad Men. Don Draper and company are competing for Honda Motorcycles as a client. The representatives from Honda have placed strict rules on the bidding process for each advertising agency, including a maximum budget they are allowed to spend on their pitch. Draper pretends that they are making a commercial for the pitch, bringing in directors, renting studio space, and making sure that his competitor thinks he’s making a commercial. Not to be outdone, the other agency goes and makes a commercial, going way over the budget, and breaking the rules of the bidding process.
Draper walks in to the meeting, after the other agency has pitched, and withdraws from the competition, playing on Honda’s sense of honour and correctness, saying that he won’t be part of this process if other people are allowed to break the rules. A few days later, they get the Honda account.
Is Apple making a TV? It sounds like they are. All the rumors point in that direction. And other companies like Sony are scrambling to “get ahead” of Apple and make their own TV based on what they think Apple is going to be making.
Since we’re speculating here, I’m going to say that Apple is going to catch the other companies flat-footed when they come out with the next Apple TV and not a television set at all. There, I said it.
What do you think? Is Apple really making a television?
Via: AllThingsD
Source: GigaOM
i know my 27" iMac is the best TV i've ever owned.
the 27" cinema display + Apple TV is kind of a no-brainer to make, but will it sell? possibly, but it would have to be the bottom-end offering. cinephiles, the kind of people that would drop cash on an Apple-made TV in the first place, want a really great TV, AND they want it big. so 27", 42", 60" offerings?
whatever the sizes, it'll need an attractive WOW element that makes it better than buying a more versatile 27" cinema display and an Apple TV (which few are currently doing).
Airplay will play a huge role:
http://joehewitt.com/2011/10/25/airplay-tv
and Siri:
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/27/whats-rea...
but it'll have to redefine the category and not be just another Internet-enabled TV. if Apple TVs aren't flying off the shelves at $99, a more expensive, premium television is not likely to do well either.
i'm excited to see what happens here. i could see it going either way, but i think when Apple does finally release a TV, it will be beautiful.
the only thing for certain is that i'm going to want it.
sigh.
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