Popular activist investor Carl Icahn recently published an open letter to Tim Cook, asking for an increased share buyback from the company. And among other products mentioned in the letter, he points to an earlier discussion regarding the possibility of Apple releasing its own television set in 2016.

Apple has long time ago stated that they weren’t interested in a HDTV lineup since their upgrade cycles are pretty long. But Icahn says that the ultraHD TV will replace the normal HDTV by 2016, and this upgrade cycle would be a huge opportunity for Apple to step into the television business.

[..]we believe UltraHD’s (ultra-high-definition television) superior picture quality in comparison to regular HD will drive a major TV replacement cycle as the price gap between them narrows.

It should also be noted that Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix, has referenced UltraHD as a major catalyst for Netflix going forward, and while this is true for Netflix, we believe it is also true for Apple.

Against the backdrop of this replacement cycle, FY 2016 represents an opportune time to introduce an UltraHD TV set.

Icahn forecasts that the Apple TV set would be sized between 55 and 65 inches, and be priced around $1500 (remember this Best Buy survey from 2012?). He even predicts that the TV set will sell about 12 million units in 2016 and more than double that in 2017.

He also tries to persuade Cook into the idea by citing the huge success of iTunes Store and how users would be able to enjoy UltraHD movies from iTunes through such high resolution screens.

We have been hearing rumors about the Apple standalone TV set for more than four years now, and earlier this year we received some contrasting reports on its development status. You can read all about the Apple’s HDTV here.

It is also worth remembering that rumors of an UltraHD TV from Apple filled the news in early 2013.

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

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Apple CEO Tim Cook has given an interview to Charlie Rose and PBS released a few preview clips ahead of airing the show. One of those is a 90 second video (below) in which he discusses the Apple TV.

Tim says that the hardest decisions for Apple “are all the products not to work on”, because they have so many ideas that they can’t do everything great altogether. When asked if TV was one of them, Tim couldn’t help smiling and started explaining Apple’s “intense interest” in this field.

He repeated the statements we’ve heard in the past, like how the current televisions remind us of the 70’s and how Apple TV has evolved into something bigger than a hobby, with its 20 million user base.

Tim specifically complained about the awful interface on current generation televisions. He also mentioned that it is not ideal that users have to wait for programs to show up as per the channel’s schedule, rather than to stream them on demand (unless you record them).

And to this, Rose asks what each one of us wanted to ask for a long time, “So why don’t you fix it?”.

Though Tim hesitated to give an exact reply, he just tip-toed around the fact that Apple is working on that by just saying, “We’ve taken steps”. As the rumors of Apple TV 4 grows, it is pretty clear from Cook’s words that the next Apple TV will come with a great looking and intuitive interface, and feature more contents.

It has been rumored that Apple is trying to integrate cable channels, on demand services and third party apps into a single set-top box.

Check out more rumors about the new Apple TV:

• Apple TV 4 launch reportedly delayed till 2015
• Apple could still be working on its own television set
• Apple TV 4 to come with Siri?
• Will Apple TV 4 come with Comcast subscriptions?

Be sure to follow Apple TV Hacks on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ for all the latest Apple TV-related news.

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Tim Cook shed some light on the phenomenal growth of Apple TV at the stockholders meeting held last Friday. According to the stats provided by him, Apple grossed over $1 billion last year just from the set-top box sales and with our superior math skills, that turns out to be 10 million devices. That is double the sales in 2012 and quadruple that in 2011. And talking about a device showing such a geometric growth, Tim Cook has accurately said, ‘It is getting more difficult to call it a hobby these days’.

What is more exiting is that all new purchases of the Apple TV 3 will fetch you a free $25 iTunes gift card. If past is any guide, this offer could be considered similar to Apple starting the sales of refurbished pieces of Macs and iOS devices before a refresh. Analysts are confident that Apple is trying to clear off the shelves to make way for the next Apple TV.

Recent rumors suggest that the Apple TV 4 could be announced anytime now and in no way will it be stretched later than April. However, the availability for purchase will be much delayed and we won’t have our hands on it until Christmas. It is speculated that the box will come with a fresh iOS-based firmware with support for games and third-party controllers. A public SDK for developers and an associated Apple TV App Store is also said to be in works. You can read everything about Apple TV 4 here.

[UPDATE]
The Loop’s Jim Dalrymple denied the possibility of an imminent Apple TV launch. He has a great track record in exposing Apple’s plans and is said to have strong connections within the Apple backbone. However he keeps mum on the other rumours we’ve heard, which does restore some hope.

More on Apple TV 4:

• Bloomberg: Apple to introduce new Apple TV in April
• Apple TV 4 references spotted in iOS 7 builds
• New rumors on Apple TV 4 surface as Apple TV gains special profile at Apple official website
• Opinion: Where is Apple taking the TV in 2014?
• Native gaming on Apple TV could soon become a reality as a new Apple TV with its own App Store is on the way, sources say

Stick around here at Apple TV Hacks (Facebook, Twitter, Google+) for more coverage on the new Apple TV.

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At the AllThingsD D11 conference held in California, Tim Cook revealed that since its introduction, Apple has sold over 13 million Apple TVs. He further continued to say Apple has a “grand vision” for the Apple TV:

This business has found many, many more customers that love the Apple TV experience. Great for customers and very good for an Apple learning point of view. Lots of us would agree that the TV space could be improved.

I don’t want to go into more detail on this. There is a “very grand” vision for TV. I have nothing to announce, but it is an area of incredible interest.

Cook, again, termed TV as “an area of great interest”:

I don’t want to go into technical details. TV remains an area of great interest to us. The work we’ve done on current Apple TV provides more knowledge than what we would have without that product. The popularity of the Apple TV has been greater than expected. It is encouraging. The TV experience is not an experience that many people love. It’s not an experience that you would say has been brought to date for this decade. It is like the experience from 10, 20 years and go.

Apple is long rumored to be developing a full television set. When asked on the same, Tim declined to comment. He has always been a bit reserved towards commenting on unannounced products, so that did not come as a surprise.

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At the AllThingsD D11 Conference held in southern California on Tuesday, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook revealed that the company had sold more than 13 million Apple TVs, and about half the number were sold in the past year. This numbers are actually amazing, especially for a product that Apple has put little marketing effort into.

Apple is long rumored to be developing a full TV set. As usual, when reached for comment on the announced product, Tim declined to comment. He has always been weary of commenting on unannounced products. However, he reassures all Apple TV lovers saying that Apple TV is of great interest to the company. Whether we are going to see a fully developed TV set soon is a matter yet to revealed. At the moment, Cook is keeping all the details to himself.

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During yesterday’s Q3 earnings call Apple CEO Tim Cook announced that the company sold 1.3M Apple TVs in Q3 2012, up more than 170% year over year, that totals at 4M units so far this fiscal year and 6.8M since Apple began selling the iOS-based, $99 model (Apple TV 2 and Apple TV 3). Tim Cook called these numbers “pretty incredible.”

Cook also said that “Apple TV is still at a level that we would call a >>hobby<<” but he admitted that the company continue to pull the string to see where it takes them. “There is a lot of people here that believe in Apple TV. We do it because we think it’ll lead us somewhere,” he added.

Where? Apple has been long rumored to be working on an Apple TV set, which, according to the latest rumors, could be released in 2014.

Back in May China Business News reported that Foxconn, Apple’s Chinese manufacturing partner, has already started a pilot production of the new Apple HDTV:

Insider sources told China Business News that a Foxconn factory in Shenzhen has received orders for an Apple “smart TV” and is producing them on a trial basis.

Other rumors claim that Sharp is set to begin delivering LCD TV panels to assembler Foxconn in order to begin building Apple television sets.

According to the experts at Stuff, when Apple HDTV does finally hit the market, it may start as a US-only release, because of the content rights.

Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Google+ for the latest updates on the rumored Apple TV set.

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Tim Cook took the stage at the D10 conference this year to discuss Apple Inc., iOS, Samsung, lawsuits, patents, Steve Jobs, and the almighty Apple TV. The new head of Apple made one thing abundantly clear; the Apple TV is no longer a “hobby” project: “This is an area of intense interest for us,” Cook said, referring to the TV business. We’re going to keep pulling this string and see where it takes us.”

While on stage, he through out some amazing numbers that go a long way in expressing the growth in this arena, such as:

• 2.8 million Apple TV’s sold in 2011
• 2.7 million Apple TV’s sold already this year

With numbers like this it is obvious that Apple is going to continue to develop their products in this area. Cook made a point to say that Apple does not “toy around” with anything. Everything they work on is with great intention. We were given a clear image that there are great innovations to come, on the horizon, in the area of the Apple TV line of products.

Though the sales numbers are nothing in comparison to the other product lines Apple currently dominates in, Cook was quick to say that the ATV is nota third wheel. The Apple TV is here for good and it is only going to get better. Perhaps my favorite quote from the Tim Cooks interview is where he attempts to express that they are just as dedicated to the Apple TV as they are iOS, iMac, and iTunes:

“…Our tendency is to put all of our wood behind very few arrows!”

The question has become a simple one: when Tim, when?!

See more of Tim Cook discussing the Apple TV at D10:

umOuch (Andrew Brasher)

Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Google+ for the latest updates on the rumored Apple TV set.

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It is far too easy, and fun, to begin speculating at what this could mean. We all know that Tim Cook doesn’t spend his time visiting companies like this for no reason. So what could it mean? For me, it seems like a perfect fit. Get involved with a company to that already has a digital gaming platform integrated for mac, PC and platform games alike.

According to sources to Cult of Mac:

Apple is working on a television set with an iTunes-integrated touch screen remote and Siri-like voice command technology. The TV set will be coming before the end of 2012. Furthermore, Apple’s television set will come with an Apple-branded, Kinect-like video game console. The interface will rely heavily on motion and touch controls.

Simply put, we are one, well designed, physical remote away from Apple taking over the gaming sector. There I said it! I have been a long time lover of iPad mirroring iOS games to my Apple TV 2. The limitation has always been controls. If Apple integrates either Kinect –like features or and external remote. I may be sold!

Update: Valve co-founder Gabe Newell has said that Tim Cook never visited his company, but, according to Cult of Mac sources, Apple is still working on a Kinect-like video game console:

The company’s plans are always subject to change, but gaming for the upcoming television is definitely on the table right now.

[via: Cult of Mac]

umOuch (Andrew Brasher)

You may also want to read:
Munster: Apple TV set will be the biggest thing in consumer electronics since the smartphone
FireCore: Work is underway on Apple TV 3 jailbreak and Apple TV 2 5.0 untethered jailbreak
aTV Flash (black) 1.5 for Apple TV 2 is live
How to install IceFilms on your jailbroken Apple TV

The post Rumor: Apple working on a revolutionary, Kinect-like video game console appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

Apple has sold record 1.4 million Apple TVs during the last holiday quarter but, interestingly, the company didn’t reveal this figures in yesterday’s press release in which it proudly details record-breaking sales of iPhones, iPads and Macs. The record figures for Apple TV were revealed during the Q1 2012 earnings live call: asked about Apple’s strategy for the living room, Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, said “the Apple TV product is dealing very well,” and he gave the numbers: in the last fiscal year – ended in September 2011 – Apple sold 2.8 mln Apple TVs, and in December quarter – record 1.4 mln units.

However, Cook added that “if you dollarize it… we still classify it as a hobby,” but he also said that Apple continues to “add things to it.”

Apple’s CEO also admitted that he “couldn’t live without the Apple TV” and said:  “We continue to pull the strings to see where it takes us.”

Since the Apple TV 2 launch in September 2010, Apple has sold over 4.2 million of the set top boxes.

Apple has been long rumored to be working on an Apple TV set that, according to Gene Munster, could be introduced around WWDC 2012.

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