Gene Munster Faces the Prospect of No Apple Television Set

[MacRumors]

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster today confirmed that the asset management firm no longer expects an Apple-branded television set to launch in the future. The news comes courtesy of Munster's Company Note updates and follows yesterday's confirmation, out of The Wall Street Journal, that Apple ditched plans for such a television set over a year ago.

Munster was well-known to tout beliefs that the Cupertino company would be launching an Apple television set in the near future, rumors that were reignited largely in part due to a direct quote from Steve Jobs in Walter Isaacson's biography of the Apple CEO. The analyst began predicting a 2012-2013 launch year for the product in 2011, with the circulation of other news and rumors that year, and in the intervening years, helping to propel the alleged Apple-branded TV set forward.

The latest prediction came just last December, with Munster estimating the TV set would cost around $1500 with a launch sometime in 2016. Today, the Piper Jaffray analyst notes that while the news confirms Apple was at one point working on a television set, the firm was in fact wrong in its "constant expectation of the product." Munster notes that the firm was also wrong about the reason for delay, and now cancellation, of the project, having less to do with basic content and more with the lack of specific untapped features in the crowded TV set market.

"We have been talking about an Apple television for the better part of the last decade. While it is a small consolation that the article affirms that Apple was actually working on a television during that period, in the end we were wrong in our constant expectation of the product. Originally we had expected that content was the reason for the delay; however, we misidentified the true reason for delay, which was a lack of perceived killer features as reported by the WSJ. We incorrectly assumed that a combination of Siri, FaceTime, a TV app store, and PrimeSense based motion control could be compelling enough as a unique feature set for the device."

Piper Jaffray now aligns itself with most other parties following Apple, believing the company to announce a revamped Apple TV at WWDC in June, and "ultimately launch the new device in September or October." In line with other rumors, the analyst believes the new Apple TV will incorporate Siri, HomeKit, and an App Store.

Munster ends today's note commenting on another purported future product of Apple, predicting that as the company moves forward it's less likely the television will be the center of the living room thanks to the increasing presence of virtual and augmented reality. "We believe that Apple is actively working on early virtual and augmented reality products," Munster says. "Although we may be 5+ years away from seeing these products launched."

Article Link: Gene Munster Faces the Prospect of No Apple Television Set

 

[dermeister]

"We believe that Apple is actively working on early virtual and augmented reality products," Munster says. "Although we may be 5+ years away from seeing these products launched."

Just making it up as he goes along.

 

[Number 41]

I want Gene Munster's job -- get paid Wall Street cash money to basically be a rumor-news aggregation service and then also get to keep your job when you're dead wrong about a constantly predicted item.

 

[ipedro]

I don't expect a traditional television set from Apple but new Mac displays with a built in AppleTV chip is well within reasonable to expect in the near future.

 

[thekeyring]

I want Gene Munster's job -- get paid Wall Street cash money to basically be a rumor-news aggregation service and then also get to keep your job when you're dead wrong about a constantly predicted item.

He basically does what we do for our friends, but it pays his mortgage.

 

[Zxxv]

Better headline

Analyst Gene Munster today has egg on face as Apple Television Set fails to make an appearance.

Gene boasted for years apple would release a tv set. How wrong he was. How he keeps his job is beyond us.

 

[GLS]

Just patting myself on the back:

https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/21311473/

Somewhere this evening, Gene Munster opened the bottle of scotch on the table, took a small glass with a few ice cubes and poured himself a drink.

He took a long moment, contemplating the years of predictions that he made that the Apple television set was just around the corner, another market to conquer.

And like that, his wishes and dreams were vanquished.



Nah. He will just find something else to pimp/promote/pontificate about.

 

[jayducharme]

I want Gene Munster's job -- get paid Wall Street cash money to basically be a rumor-news aggregation service and then also get to keep your job when you're dead wrong about a constantly predicted item.

Next he should get into weather forecasting.

 

[avanpelt]

With the death of the TV rumor, queue the Apple Car rumors every...single...quarter for at least the next five years.

 

[camnchar]

I believe this is the appropriate place for this:

 

[djdj]

I want Gene Munster's job -- get paid Wall Street cash money to basically be a rumor-news aggregation service and then also get to keep your job when you're dead wrong about a constantly predicted item.

...and dead wrong about virtually everything else you've ever said.

The guy's a joke. He's never been right about anything. And people keep quoting him.

 

[JosephAW]

No need for TV. Just release TV for all iPhones.

 

[Waxhead138]

They have another name for this type of work: Being a weatherman.

Wait, no, at least they get it right roughly half the time.

 

[dwman]

Someone needs to put Gene on suicide watch

 

[madsci954]

Just patting myself on the back:

https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/21311473/

I think after that Washington Post story, he went home and cried after he poured his scotch.

 

[TheRealTVGuy]

I'd still rather see Gene's name than that damn Ming Chi-Kuo. Right or wrong, I can't stand that guy...

 

[extricated]

I'm glad this whole television thing is winding down. I never could see Apple introducing a full-blown TV.

That said, I'm really looking forward to the next-gen Apple TV!

 

[seamer]

It would be odd having a dedicated set-top device and a TV. Repairing or replacing a mini-computer is easy. Repairing a TV with the features of a set-top box built in to it is just a nightmare waiting to happen.

 

[Rogifan]

I see he's moved on to AR/VR as the next big thing coming from Apple.

 

[SteveW928]

I see he's moved on to AR/VR as the next big thing coming from Apple.

Heh, well while I never believed Apple would make a TV display, I guess I never thought they'd make a watch either. So, who knows anymore. Maybe his guess is as good as any?

Me, I'm just hoping they keep making computers, phones, and tablets (and don't screw up too badly) and get around to fixing the OSs. (And that they aren't blowing the whole R&D budget on the iRing. Or, Super-Cool iShades, now with Mega-Bling.)

 

[Benjamin Frost]

I see he's moved on to AR/VR as the next big thing coming from Apple.

We've had no big thing from Apple since the iPad in 2010. Nothing on the horizon either from them or anyone else.

We've settled into the iAge. Thanks, Steve.

 

[britboyj]

Apple will not be doing a TV set any time soon. These rumours have circulated since well before the Apple Watch was circulated, but a broken clock is right twice a day.

These morons make stuff up and go on nothing. They'll eventually get something right - and everyone will forget about the things they got wrong.

 

[FieldingMellish]

I wonder what Herman Munster had to say about it?

 

[UnfetteredMind]

I wonder what Herman Munster had to say about it?

New Apple augmented reality headset is coming soon!

 

[Glassed Silver]

I don't expect a traditional television set from Apple but new Mac displays with a built in AppleTV chip is well within reasonable to expect in the near future.

Seeing how they axed Front Row years ago with no transitional solution to what you described I believe we won't see that happen anytime soon if at all.

I'd love for my Mac with 27" to have such features, but I highly doubt it'll happen.

Glassed Silver:ios