“While speculation of an Apple-built HDTV has cooled somewhat amid the launch of the iPhone 5 and expected ‘iPad mini,’ one analyst says the company’s next market disruptor is already here, and it’s not a TV,” Mikey Campbell reports for AppleInsider.
“Barclays analyst Ben Reitzes believes TV remotes, not TVs themselves, may be key to Apple’s “next big thing.” Apple has more control to expand the total addressable market (TAM) for its mobile products, like the iPhone and iPad, than its competitors, and therefore has the ability to offer innovative software and hardware features at accessible price,” Campbell reports. “‘We feel one of the best ways to increase the iOS device TAM is by expanding use cases so that every home could use an iOS device as a TV remote,’ Reitzes writes.”
Campbell reports, “Furthering speculation of the so-called ‘iPad mini,’ the analyst notes the much-rumored tablet’s smaller 7.85-inch format could be one of the first to expand TAM by becoming a TV remote… Extending the idea into the future, the iPad could one day be used as a “central command” for the digital home, an idea already being tested by home automation companies. Usually, central control of common household items, like lights, HVAC units and TVs, is cost-prohibitive and requires a multitude of bridging devices.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Using the TWCable TV app on iPad to control the TV vs. the Time Warner Cable-supplied set-top boxes, remotes, and “software” that would make even Microsoft retch is like using a brand new 2012 iMac vs. a 1984 IBM PCjr.
Before anyone asks: HVAC = heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.
you’re welcome! 🙂
Do people really not know that?
I am well aware of the fact that most of the world are idiots, but I tend to give people the benefit of the doubt, and perhaps unfairly, I hold the members of this forum to a higher standard… For the mos part. 😁
Yes, I expect alot of people wouldn’t know what HVAC stands for if they are not in the industry.Big deal…
Then I suppose you know the difference between an automatic expansion valve and a thermostatic expansion valve? Single phase and three-phase? Polyphase motors? The derating factors that are below table 310 – 16? A butterfly valve? K factor? AFI breaker?
Are you kidding? Of course I have no idea what those devices are! But I’ll go DDG* them and find out.
* DDG = Duck Duck Go
This makes much more sense than an Apple HDTV. Paired with an AppleTV and you have a powerful, expandable combination. It also makes sense that the Apple iRemote or whatever it would be called could spawn the iPad mini rumors.
Why would apple make a separate device when we can already do these things with an iPhone, iPad, or iTouch?
Maybe cause iOS devices don’t have infrared built in. Unless you have an adapter you can’t control a tv, etc.
Control Apple TV yes, everything else no.
If the iPad mini has IR built in and can be an all in one remote… I’m in.
(Beyond that I’m not getting a mini)
Well, some of us have been saying this since day one….
It is 7.85 ” and looks like a small iPad. Sorry BLN.
Well, when you look around the house, the TV remote is the most overly complex, POS device there is. So what better item to replace with an Apple device that is easy to use.
I suspect we will soon see the elimination of the cable TV box and remote. Instead your Airport Extreme will be connected to your cable modem. The Airport Extreme will beam a wireless signal to your Apple TV which is connected to your TV set. Finally, your iPhone or iPad or Air will control the Apple TV. Presto, no cable box and remotes and no more listening to my wife bitch about not being able to figure out the freakin remotes on the coffee table.
Harmony remotes have already solved this problem. It will control all your devices in the living room and more. When watching a DVD it will shut off your cable box and set up your audio system to provide the right sound settings.
Want to watch Apple TV? It will shut down the cable box and the DVD player and set the TV to the right input.
A comon database created by all users gets shared automatically thereby making the setup of your system much easier because someone else has something similar.
So who purchased Harmony? Logitech.
Agreed. I have a Harmony 880 in the bedroom, and the Harmony 1100 in the media room. I don’t think there is much that could be done to improve the user experience. They are truly great pieces of technology.
My Comcast remote has 53 buttons; that’s horrible.
I second this. I have a harmony 1100 also – best remote ever.
Let’s see,
invisible Apple HDTV
invisible iPad mini
Loch Ness Monster…
what a shit…. apple already did try it. it was apple TV. but it’s completely failed. I don’t know why this guy thinks it is ‘the next big thing’. but obviously it is absolutely not. no matter how many Apple would try for TV, it won’t work. you’d better ask reason to bigger TV maker like Samsung, LG, Sony. apple won’t. don’t you get it?
you’re right…unless apple allows anyone to write an iOS app for appleTV that allows any content to be viewed without restrictions….including iTunes competitors.
A very useless article. He simply states the obvious. This could be accomplished with any cell phone or tablet computer it does not have to be something from Apple. This guy sounds like he is stuck in the 80s! I wonder if he just woke up from a long, long sleep? Wow! What a goof!
Airplay is supposed to be coming to all kinds of non-Apple CE devices and this remote will be the “conduit” to them, IMHO. Or any iPhone / iPad …
With the rumored refresh of Mac Mini coming up (constrained, etc.) do you think Apple will add ‘Apple TV’ capability to the mini? Maybe as an app, or…. ? Just wondering.