unsui_grep

Posted this elsewhere first, but no one has said I'm crazy yet. Also my first post here. I'm wondering if this decision might be a sign that Apple is finally about to enter into the smart tv market with an actual Apple TV. It’s a given that this has a lot to do with the upcoming subscription services and embracing an overall services-centered model, but I just wonder if this an attempt to reach out to those outside of the Apple ecosystem and prep them for a more ambitious play. 

I've read a number of arguments over the years for why Apple shouldn’t/wouldn’t enter into the TV market. Most of them boil down to market saturation and thin profit margins. Apple itself, seems uninterested in entering into new markets unless they feel that they can offer something new, if not unique. Pretty reasonable arguments for yesterday. I’d say that’s about to change and we all knew it was coming. An actual Apple TV would be a fantastic hub (if not one of many) for a services centered Apple. Perhaps better than the iPhone. Plenty of smart TVs offer some form of home automation functionality, music/media streaming, you can plug an xbox or ps4 into any of them, and the historical awful UI of today’s cable boxes/services is now optional thanks to the leverage of cable-cutters.

Imagine an actual Apple TV with a more powerful Siri, that properly integrated HomePod, future HomePod/AirPod products, and Dolby Atmos. It would have to have stunning screen, maybe 8K OLED or Micro LED, with an expanded color gamut. An array of depth-cameras and sensors integrated into a thin bezel could enable new functionality to HomeKit and HealthKit connected devices (maybe even gaming–gasp!), all while protecting your privacy. It could be beautiful and it would cost, of course, but it could be incredibly strategic–a beautiful, big gate to Apple’s walled garden. I can’t believe that Apple will be satisfied with Samsung’s badge on the gate. We’ve already seen them realize this with the Cinema Displays. If I’m a services based Apple that still produces hardware, this has to happen. 

Sure would be great if they could lure Chris Lattner back. No offense to the Swift Team. They’re doing great work.

I'd like to see Apple work with Unity or Unreal on supporting Swift. Maybe even develop their own advanced game engine. Certainly there's much that can be shared between ARKit and the future of gaming. Game engines these days are be utilized for far more than just games. This should be an area of interest for Apple, perhaps in c Maybe Reality Composer is laying the foundation for this. An Apple TV, perhaps in conjunction with Apple glasses, tuned to work with their own Swift based engine could be exciting. If this were a goal, Swift might need another year or two to develop.