Consumer interest in an Apple-branded television runs high -- at least, that's what a recent poll of U.S. and UK TV owners suggests.
Twenty-five percent of U.S. consumers and 30 percent of UK consumers find the idea of an Apple-brand TV set appealing, and said they would buy one if it were available, according to a recently released study by marketing and research firm KAE and polling service Toluna. About 6,000 TV owners were polled on how interested they'd be in buying an Apple TV set, what features they'd like, and why they'd buy one, among other areas of inquiry.
Forty percent of consumers who already own at least one Apple product indicated they would want an Apple television if it became available. LG, Samsung and Sony TV owners would be most interested in switching brands if Apple entered the TV market, the poll determined.
Lee Powney, KAE's Chief Commercial Officer, thinks that there's "huge potential" for an Apple TV set, and that it's extremely likely that Apple is working on its own set. "Such a move would be an incredibly powerful extension of the iOS platform," Powney said in a statement. "It would create new monetization opportunities for developers and accessory manufacturers by bringing the Apple experience further into the home."
Most polled consumers were interested in an Apple set because they believe it would be a high-quality product with a ground-breaking design. They would want it to be Internet-ready, have the ability to run apps, and sync effortlessly with other Apple devices.
Some analysts, like Gartner's Van Baker, aren't so convinced Apple would enter into the notoriously low-profit TV market. “Sony, one of the perceived leaders in the television market has been losing money for years,” Baker told Wired via email. "Most of the manufacturers operate with very thin margins if any. This is just not a market that makes sense for Apple."
Nonetheless, Powney thinks there's opportunity for Apple to make money on a TV, and that consumers are willing to pay up.
"There is significant margin in the higher end of the TV set market," Powney told Wired via email, adding the smart TV space is a lot like the nascent hardware market in 2006 -- "ripe for disruption."
Reports widely peg an Apple television for launch in the fourth quarter of this year, a date Powney echoed.
via BGR
