Apple Should Absolutely Release a TV, Here's Why

A Steve Jobs quote once inspired a decades-long fascination with the idea of an Apple TV. The product never materialized, but the dream lives on, fueled by a new rumor from Mark Gurman that Apple is now “evaluating” the possibility of making a TV. Here are five reasons why I think Apple should definitely make its own TV.

It's already an area of expertise

Apple may not have made TVs before, but it has the skills and experience to do so.

Displays are Apple's specialty, including this year's M4 iPad Pro with “the world's most advanced display.”
Speakers and audio are also Apple's strengths, not just with AirPods and HomePods, but with built-in speakers in devices like the iMac.
It already has a TV operating system in tvOS; it's not perfect, but it has all the essentials

In short, it's not that hard for Apple to make a great TV. And Apple's brand strength in these areas will help buyers better accept the high price.

The Privacy Angle

Apple is very concerned about user privacy. And guess what? Modern TVs are terrible when it comes to privacy.

Smart TVs sell data about what you watch to third parties, who then advertise to you on that same TV through home screen ads, screensavers, and more. It's a bad user experience, and Apple creating a privacy-focused TV could be a great selling point.

Apple Can't Win the Home Without Winning the TV

TVs are typically the centerpiece of a home. Not everyone has smart speakers or smart lightbulbs, but almost everyone has a TV.

If Apple really wants to get serious about winning the home entertainment game, making a TV is going to be a key part of that.

The Apple TV 4K offering is not enough. Most people will always see it as an unnecessary purchase because their TV already has streaming apps built in.

Buying a TV and an Apple TV 4K is not an option for many. But they may be tempted to buy an Apple TV the next time they need a new TV, even if they end up spending more.

Once someone buys an Apple TV in their home, they're likely to buy HomePods, HomePads, and other smart home devices.

TV Margins May Be Small, But Services Revenue Could Be Big

Apple TV will likely come with particularly thin margins for the company.

So, from a financial perspective, why do this at all? Because of the services revenue.

Apple TV owners are more likely to buy existing Apple services. For example, an extended Apple One trial would be an obvious inclusion with every TV purchase. That way, users would be able to try Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, and Apple Music at no extra cost. Then, once the trial ends, a significant portion of users would continue to pay.

An even bigger deal, potentially, is a cut of the revenue Apple would make from third-party apps and services on its platform. Just like with the Apple TV 4K, Apple would benefit from taking a percentage of the subscription revenue.

Apple Intelligence and the “HomePad”

There's a lot of overlap between what the upcoming “HomePad” device can do and what would make sense for a standalone TV.

Apple Intelligence's updates to Siri coming this spring could be especially compelling to users. It would be great if your TV could become a voice-activated computing platform — if it actually worked well. Not just for watching TV, but for controlling your home devices, viewing important data with widgets, and more.

Apple TV Review

Apple creating a standalone TV is still a pipe dream. But I don't think it has to be. Hopefully this time around, the company's “evaluation” of a TV will result in a real product.

Most iPhone users would never spend money on an expensive model for a TV when there are cheaper options. But many of us certainly would.

What do you think? Should Apple make a TV? Let us know in the comments.