Could Apple Enter Sub-$1K Premium TV Market With A Real iTV?

News that high-end TVs are nearing the sub $1,000 range may be the impetus for Apple to enter the market, a new report suggests. For some time, talk has swirled around the tech giant moving beyond the world of 10-inch screens. Might 32-inches and above be the next step for Cupertino?

We’ve covered numerous hints and suggestions that Apple was toying with producing a TV, yet those reports have always been tempered with the fact that an Apple TV would be part of a fractious segment. Now comes word high-end TV makers are dropping prices below $1,000 opening the chance of a $999 option from the most powerful tech brand around.

The price of the average high-end LCD TV has dropped to $1,002.58 from $1,317.89 a year ago, according to research firm IHS iSuppli. While the move is a reaction to “white label” TVs costing $550, the action could also benefit Apple. The iPhone and iPad maker has developed a supplier base and marketing machine making low-cost, high-quality consumer electronics possible. Add the potential for iCloud TV storage bolstered by Apple’s mammoth data storage facility and what once Apple viewed as a “hobby” could become the company’s latest gangbuster device.

Additionally, we’ve seen Apple enter a market once dominated by others and become a huge player. Nokia and RIM once were cell phone titans — remember them?

• Via 9to5Mac

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