Yesterday, 9to5 Mac noticed that Apple had rejigged its online store so as to position AppleTV as a product category. Also interestingly, Lee Clow has apparently hinted that, for the first time since 1984, Apple may be airing a super bowl spot. And then during Apple’s first quarter earnings call, Tim Cook foreshadowed new product categories for 2014. We’ve also had rumors of Apple cutting content deals over the last year that never turned into announcements.

It seems pretty clear that one new product category is going to be AppleTV. And here’s where things get really interesting.

Facts

  • Apple’s online store now treats AppleTV as a product category rather than an accessory.
  • Apple is not currently selling an Apple-branded 4K display (the 4K displays it is selling are from Sharp)
  • Apple’s OS-level support for 4K displays is conspicuously poor (they need to be treated as Retina displays)
  • iOS now provides proper (API) support for bluetooth game controllers
  • The price for high quality 4K displays is about to drop well under $1000
  • The current AppleTV does not support 4K displays
  • The current AppleTV does not support 802.11ac

Opinions

  • The last crop of consoles (Xbox One, PS4, Wii U) had the most anemic rollout (in terms of launch titles) in recent memory
  • The way AppleTV’s remote app works is primitive compared to the way Chromecast can be “handed” a playback task (and Apple knows this)
  • AppleTV currently needs a system update in order to add a new content channel; the tools for managing “apps” in AppleTV are primitive to put it mildly
  • There is already an ecosystem of iOS-compatible controllers and iOS games supporting those controllers
  • 4K displays blur or even erase the line between monitors and TVs

Rumors

  • Apple has bought a Super Bowl spot
  • Nintendo has suggested it is looking at developing titles for mobile platforms
  • Apple has been negotiating content deals with major players (movie studios, etc.) but it has borne no visible fruit as yet

Predictions

  • Apple is at last going to release an AppleTV console (whether it’s called AppleTV or not remains to be seen)
    • It will have access to major new sources of content
    • It will have an App Store
    • It will support Bluetooth controllers
    • It will support the use of other iOS devices as controllers
    • It will be powered by the A7 or something more powerful
    • If it is powered by a new chip (e.g. “A7x”) it will support 4K (the A7 can drive 2K)
    • It will have a shockingly good set of launch titles (how else to explain the lackluster launch titles for all the other consoles?)
    • It will not have a tuner or Cablecard support or any other horrific kludge
    • It may introduce streaming video with ads for content from networks (effectively on-demand playback of licensed content with ads)
    • It will cost $199-399 (I’d predict $199, but Apple might actually sell a range of products with varying storage capacities)
    • The ghastly Apple Remote iOS app will be given a proper overhaul, and work in more of a peer-to-peer manner (and be able to hand off tasks to the AppleTV)
  • An even smaller $99 version which doesn’t play games might continue as AppleTV Nano or some such
  • We’re going to see extensive 4K support across Apple’s product lines over the next 12 months
  • We’re going to see Apple-branded 4K displays (“Retina HD” perhaps?) designed to work seamlessly with all this new stuff