What is a TV? Does it have to be a giant panel that commands your attention in the living room, something attached to a wall, or nestled between wall-filling bookshelves? Not necessarily and if Apple is truly reconsidering making its own TV set, it may want to take a long hard look at its surging iPad Pro 13-inch.
Apple’s interest in TV sets and television in general, goes back at least 15 years, and was solidified in some ways when Apple CEO Tim Cook told interviewers that Apple considered TVs “an area of incredible interest.” He also noted that there was a grand vision for TV at the Cupertino tech company. In hindsight, Cook may have been describing Apple’s work on its Apple TV 4K streaming box, which was followed by the TV app (which replaced Video and the iTunes video library and store) and even Apple TV Plus, which introduced the world to Apple’s vision for streaming content. All in all, that does add up to something of a grand vision.
We find ourselves turning back the channel to talk yet again about the possibility of an Apple TV set because of a short item in Bloomberg’s Power On newsletter that indicates building an “Apple” branded TV set is “something it’s evaluating.” I know, it’s not a lot to go on and I’ve long been skeptical of the concept of an Apple Television, a seemingly unnecessary piece of Apple hardware.
I’m not denying the market allure. Statista puts the worldwide TV set revenue opportunity at nearly $100b. On the other hand, the market is anticipated to have less than 1% annual growth over the next five years. That might be because people buy these big TV sets and then hold onto them for at least 5 years. Apple likes markets that either promise annuities like its services – including Apple TV Plus – and ones that have built-in upgrade cycles like the best iPhones. TV sets by themselves provide neither.
It’s been the iPad all along
Let’s say, for argument’s sake, Apple is back on the TV hunt. It might be doing so not only because an Apple TV is the perfect delivery system for its own streaming service but also because of the obvious in-home branding opportunity: a big TV set with a visible Apple logo on the chin base. I believe, though, that the real reason Apple might be considering making a TV set is because it’s been selling millions of small TV screens to Apple fans for years.
Going all the way back to 2013, a survey found that more than 50% of respondents were watching TV on an iPad. At the time, the entertainment was squeezed into a 9.7-inch LCD. As I write this, my TV is playing next to me. It’s a 13-inch iPad Pro with a fantastic Ultra Retina XDR Tandem OLED (two stacked OLED panels) with clear and quite loud four-speaker audio that even supports spatial audio.
With my iPad, I have access to Apple TV Plus, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Max, and my new live-broadcast favorite Sling TV. Obviously, this is an able TV set and, if the rumors are true, larger tandem OLED displays are coming. Near term they might still top out at 30 inches, so Apple will probably stick to the tech currently used in the best OLED TVs for… oh let’s call it the 65-inch iPad Pro Max.
The limits
My iPad Pro 13, which is outselling all other iPads, is not a perfect TV. It lacks a remote (it’s a touchscreen!) and HDMI ports for, say, attaching a gaming console. On an actual Apple TV in the form of a giant iPad, perhaps Apple should still avoid HDMI ports, bringing us fully into the cable-free streaming future – but it could add a separate connections box for anyone who needs them. This could even be wireless, like LG M-series OLED TVs, so you can keep a clean space around your TV. And you could use your iPhone as the remote by default. Admit it, you’re already watching TV with your iPhone in your hand.
The benefit of the iPad Pro Max 65 inch as a TV set is that all the smarts are built in. It’s already a gaming platform and, with support for all your key productivity apps, could also double as a giant workspace. It’s already a smart home hub and might finally help people, if not fall in love with it, at least start adopting Apple Home in significant numbers. I even think the touchscreen TV could come in handy when you can’t locate the remote, but I would recommend adding the ability to turn off the touchscreen.
Apple isn’t, as I see it, far from building a TV set because it’s been selling them for 13 years. The iPad is a TV and it’s time for it to glow all the way up.