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The Apple Core

Jason D. O'Grady & David Morgenstern

Apple HDTV: an iPhone without a screen; 1080p

By | May 28, 2010, 11:11am PDT

Summary: A rumor is circulating that the Apple TV will get re-incarnated at WWDC 2010 with iPhone OS and full 1080 HD output. The kicker? Its $99 price tag. I’m in.

Ahh, you readers. Prescient, you are.

It wasn’t an hour after a pressed “publish” on my story about a reader’s speculation that the Apple TV would get a refresh at Apple’s WWDC on June 7 that I saw this post on Engadget about just that.

According to its sources, Apple TV will indeed get a major refresh at WWDC, actually it’s more like a completely new product. The story goes like this: the new Apple TV will be based on iPhone OS and will include an A4 chip, 16GB of flash memory, cloud storage and 1080p high-definition output. Word is that the new device will only have two ports, power and video out.

Storage will be on the cloud, but it remains to see how Apple will charge for it. I sincerely hope that Apple doesn’t plan on charging $100 per year for storage (like it does with MobileMe) or it’s simply taunting the jailbreak community to build a better mousetrap — and they will.

Sources describe the ATV sequel as “an iPhone without a screen,” but the real kicker is the price - rumored to be $99. I’m calling it the “Apple HDTV,” but feel free to chime in in the TalkBack with your prediction. For $99, I’d buy one.

I don’t know about you but my current Apple TV almost never gets turned on, except for when there’s a software update to write about. The damned thing runs so hot that it will literally singe your fingertips and there’s no power switch or sleep mode (that I’m aware of) so it’s an electricity vampire. Apple TV meet Craigslist.

So riff away fair readers… would you buy the new and improved Apple HDTV for $99?

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Topics

Jason O'Grady is a journalist and author specializing in mobile technology. He has published six books on Apple and mobile gadgets and his PowerPage blog has been publishing for over 15 years.

Disclosure

Jason D. O'Grady

Jason D. O'Grady is the creator and editor of O'Grady's PowerPage, which has been publishing mobile technology news since 1995. He maintains an advertising relationship with the following legacy advertisers on the PowerPage:

  • Amazon Associates
  • Google Adsense
  • Tekserve
  • Advertising on the PowerPage is brokered by a third-party agency (BackBeat Media) and he recuses himself from these negotiations.

Biography

Jason D. O'Grady

Jason D. O'Grady developed an affinity for Apple computers after using the original Lisa, and this affinity turned into a bona-fide obsession when he got the original 128 KB Macintosh in 1984.

He started writing one of the first Web sites about Apple (O'Grady's PowerPage) in 1995 and is considered to be one of the fathers of blogging. He has been a frequent speaker at the Macworld Expo conference and a member of the conference faculty. He also co-founded the first dedicated PowerBook User Group (PPUG) in the United States.

After winning a major legal battle with Apple in 2006, he set the precedent that independent journalists are entitled to the same protections under the First Amendment as members of the mainstream media.

O'Grady is the author of The Nexus One Pocket Guide, The Droid Pocket Guide, The Google Phone Pocket Guide, and The Garmin nuvi Pocket Guide (Peachpit Press), the author of Corporations That Changed the World: Apple Inc. (Greenwood Press), and a contributor to The Mac Bible (Peachpit Press). In addition, he has contributed to numerous Mac publications over the years, including MacWEEK, Macworld, and MacPower (Japan).

When he's not writing about Apple for ZDNet at The Apple Core, he enjoys spending time with his family in New Jersey.

Talkback Most Recent of 53 Talkback(s)

  • Only the uninformed would answer your question
    would you buy the new and improved Apple HDTV for $99?

    You talk about how this is a brand new, never before seen product, we don't know what the features are, we don't know what you get for $99, yet you've already decided to buy one? And you wonder why we make fun of you Apple zealots?
    ZDNet Gravatar
    NonZealot
    28th May 2010
  • RE: Apple HDTV: an iPhone without a screen; 1080p
    @NonZealot
    While I agree both these articles are very light on details, I think that you'd have to agree that talking about vaporware is not an ZDNet/Apple exclusive deal. Where's Windows Phone 7? Oh yeah - not out till year-end... (just an example)
    People like to hear rumors/hints. Take it for what it is...
    ZDNet Gravatar
    rossdav@...
    28th May 2010
  • There has been a WM7 emulator for months
    @rossdav@...
    People have been playing with and developing software for emulated WM7 phones for months. People don't even know what the new AppleTV will do. Huge difference.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    NonZealot
    28th May 2010
  • ZDNet Gravatar
    Droid101
    28th May 2010
  • Apple's bloody mess with Foxconn will hurt Apple TV
    No matter what Apple has to offer, its relationship with Foxconn make it a bloody mess.

    If hip means being part of company that for the sake of profit makes its workers kill themselves, I don't want any part of it.

    For those of you who don't know. Around 10 people this year killed them selves at Foxconn, a place where Apple has its latest products made. There were other attempts and some speculate these are not suicides, regardless the fact remains they are deaths. Foxconn has installed nets to avoid these deaths. The question remains, why would 18 year olds want to kill themselves over a job? Why work them so hard? This is what Foxconn does, and Apple condones this by buying from them. Now Foxconn is offering a 20% increase in pay. Will this fix what has happened? Will this stop the deaths? We shall see.

    Apple did state:

    "Apple is deeply committed to ensuring that conditions throughout our supply chain are safe and workers are treated with respect and dignity"

    This has been going on for over 6 months this year and who knows how many more before. Apple needs to prove with actions more so than words, what has been done in the past, what is being done in the present and what it will do in the future regarding its relationship with Foxconn.

    As another site states, if Apple does not come clean on this:

    "China suicides: Is Apple headed for a consumer backlash?"

    May become reality.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Uralbas
    30th May 2010
  • There will be those that claim Apple isn't to blame for this
    @Uralbas
    They will claim that Foxconn makes products for others too and this is true. However, these suicides and beatings are only happening at the plants that are making Apple's products and the reasons behind it are outrageously long work hours so that Timmy can have his iPod and the vicious beatings in order to satisfy Jobs' maniacal desire for secrecy.

    http://www.dailytech.com/Eighth+Suicide+at+Foxconns+Apple+Plant+Video+of+
    The rash of recent suicides comes as employees have been being pressured to work long hours to fulfill demand for Apple's popular iPhones and iPads. Also there's the recent video and fresh reports of security staff antagonizing employees in wake of Apple's demand for unparalleled secrecy at the plant. One of the three suicides that occurred at the plant last year came after security staff beat an employee who lost a prototype of the fourth generation iPhone. Foxconn guards have also beat up reporters trying to interview workers at Apple's secret plant.

    Maybe if Jobs valued human life more than getting his 60 billionth dollar in the bank, those workers would be alive today. sad
    ZDNet Gravatar
    NonZealot
    30th May 2010
    • Flagged
  • RE: Apple HDTV: an iPhone without a screen; 1080p
    @Uralbas and @NonZealot Well then we'd better not use any Apple products. And also stop using Dell, HP, Toshiba, or any other company that utilizes Foxconn. /sarcasm

    Your blatant attempt at placing the blame for those suicides at Apple's front door is sophmoric at best and clearly is nothing more that anti-apple rhetoric and FUD.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Pete "athynz" Athens
    31st May 2010
  • RE: Apple HDTV: an iPhone without a screen; 1080p
    Presuming I can stream some web stuff to my 50" Plasma, I am in for $99. Two ports. Perfect. Easy. If it does use the iPhone OS, it's easy to use, too. I'll wait to see...but if the 4g phone stays under $200 and an Apple TV machine is available for $99, I'll be spending $300 mid June...
    ZDNet Gravatar
    mashland@...
    28th May 2010
  • RE: Apple HDTV: an iPhone without a screen; 1080p
    @mashland@...
    The iPhone OS is a touch screen OS. How would you use that on a 50" TV?

    You can stream anything (no iTunes required) with a PS3, which also comes with a Blu-ray player.

    This AppleTV is a completely pointless product.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Droid101
    28th May 2010
  • I love that this isn't immediately obvious to the Apple zealots
    @Droid101
    The iPhone OS is a touch screen OS. How would you use that on a 50" TV?

    That these people are already lining up to buy this thing is hilarious to me. Hey, maybe the new AppleTV will be good but anyone saying they'll buy one with the information they have now is a complete Apple zealot.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    NonZealot
    28th May 2010
  • OMG! guys this is not rocket science.. the screen is just a input device..
    @Droid101 - you can add an interface for anything other input device on top of the OS to drive it.. is that really that hard to understand?

    you can have a simple remote up - down - left -right, iPod Touch which could wirelessly connect to it (and would allow for multi-touch gestures too)..

    think about it.. the desktop OS is meant to be driven by keyboard and mouse but i can drive it with pen and wacom tablet, track pad, cursor buttons, even run AirMouse other other program and drive the OS with and iPhone or iPod Touch.. take two seconds and think guys before you start pushing those keys.. sheesh!
    ZDNet Gravatar
    doctorSpoc
    28th May 2010
  • RE: Apple HDTV: an iPhone without a screen; 1080p
    @Droid101 This AppleTV is a completely pointless product.

    That was also said about a great many Apple products including the iPad and iPhone.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Pete "athynz" Athens
    31st May 2010
  • No PS3 will ever enter my house.
    @Droid101 For those of you with a PS3, based on your points, AppleTV may be a useless product. But for a house like mine, with only a Game Cube, Wii, and a couple DS Lites, an AppleTV makes sense. We've got 3 iPhones, multiple iPod touches, 4 Macs, and terabytes of music and video being streamed around the house via Home Sharing. None of us want a PS3, and we're heavily considering getting an AppleTV after the refresh. Makes sense to me.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Ktroje
    5th Jun 2010
  • RE: Apple HDTV: an iPhone without a screen; 1080p
    I'll go with Google 's device. At least we've all seen the specs and what it does. It's pretty impressive.

    Funny watching apple copying and trying to keep up with Google.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    AllAroundIT
    28th May 2010
  • RE: Apple HDTV: an iPhone without a screen; 1080p
    @AllAroundIT
    So u think Apple has designed this product in the two weeks since Google announced theirs?
    ZDNet Gravatar
    majrparkr
    28th May 2010

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