Apple has shelved several ambitious projects, including the much-discussed Apple Car. Recently, Mark Gurman revealed an abandoned prototype of an Apple TV, conceived shortly after the first iPad’s release and envisioned by Steve Jobs. This device aimed to merge a large touchscreen with TV functionality but faced challenges in the low-margin TV market and high production costs. Although Apple shifted focus to HDMI-connected devices, speculation about a revival of the TV project has emerged, albeit met with skepticism.
Similar to other major players in the technology arena, Apple has ventured into the creation of devices that may not always make it to market. Among the notable abandoned endeavors is the much-discussed Apple Car, which appears to have been officially shelved a few months back.
This week, Mark Gurman sheds light on a less prominent, yet intriguing, abandoned prototype of the Apple TV. In a recent piece for Bloomberg, he reveals that this prototype still resides within Apple’s facilities.
Initiated shortly after the debut of the first iPad, this project represented one of the final concepts championed by the late Steve Jobs.
A Harmonious Device: Bridging the Gap Between a Giant iPad and a TV
According to insights from Mark Gurman, the vision behind this prototype was to “develop a device with an expansive screen, designed to be positioned in a stand for TV viewing, while also functioning as a touchscreen Mac or oversized iPad when necessary.” He elaborates further on the inspiration behind its design.
The prototype would have shared design similarities with the earlier Microsoft PixelSense, offering the capability to sync with other Apple devices, access multimedia content, engage in video conferencing, and even facilitate office tasks.
At its peak, Apple envisioned this device as a potential game-changer for the industry, much like the impact of the iPhone a few years prior.
However, Apple soon encountered the stark realities of the television market: a sector characterized by low profit margins and less frequent device upgrades compared to the smartphone industry.
This challenge was particularly significant for Apple in the early 2010s, a period when the company relied far less on service and subscription revenues. At that time, their business model was heavily dependent on the regular upgrades of iPhones, iPads, and Macs.
As Gurman points out, introducing a “low-margin device with limited upgrade potential would have been a miscalculation.”
Reevaluating Television Production: Apple’s Future Considerations
Pragmatically, Apple also recognized that creating a hybrid device combining a large iPad and a television would entail prohibitively high production and shipping expenses.
Gurman explains, “Apple quickly faced cost-related challenges, particularly concerning the air transport of large panels between factories, warehouses, and customers.”
“The company would have needed to innovate and manufacture new chips to power these screens, along with necessary input-output electronics. The project would also demand production facilities for premium quality displays and sufficient glass supplies.”
The outcome is well-documented: Apple ultimately chose to focus on designing and marketing devices meant to connect via HDMI to existing televisions. Nevertheless, the experience offered by Apple TVs—especially the latest iterations—still aligns closely with Steve Jobs’ original aspirations for an Apple television.
In a conversation with biographer Walter Isaacson, Jobs once expressed that he had “finally uncovered the solution,” referring to a product that would integrate seamlessly with other devices and iCloud, featuring the most user-friendly interface imaginable.
Recently, however, some reports, also from Mark Gurman, hint at a potential revival of Apple’s internally designed and manufactured television project. This speculation has been met with skepticism by our colleagues at Numerama, and we share similar reservations regarding its viability.