Apple Has Shelved Its HDTV Project

After nearly a decade of research, Apple’s long-rumored ultra HDTV appears to be no more. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, Apple quietly shelved the project late last year, reassigning those involved to other projects while focusing on the long-awaited update to the Apple TV set-top box. Those familiar with the project have said that the prototype — which was first created in the mid-2000s — was truly something to behold: a display that was transparent (like a pane of glass) when turned off and that used lasers to display imagery when turned on. Though Apple patented the technology back in 2010, it apparently never progressed much past the research phase because it used a massive amount of power and the overall quality of its images was poor. According to the report, Apple also “considered adding sensor-equipped cameras so viewers could make video calls through the set.” Ultimately, however, Apple’s execs decided that the technology wasn’t compelling enough to justify entering the overly saturated and highly competitive — and, now, largely Samsung-dominated — HDTV market, especially since Apple usually “likes to enter a new product area with innovative technology and easier-to-use software.”

Investor Carl Icahn, however, seems intent on keeping the device alive. In an open letter yesterday to Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook, Icahn said he expects Apple to begin selling 55- and 65-inch ultra-high-definition sets next year, generating revenue north of $15 billion USD in 2016 with sales exceeding 10 million units for the fiscal year.