You are unlikely to have missed that today is opening day for the CES Show in Las Vegas. Thr
ee years back, before the launch of the iPad, we declared 2010 would be ‘The Year of the Tablet’. Now, before the launch of iTV, we declare 2013 to be“The Year of the Connected TV”.
Of course, just like we had tablets before the iPad (and smartphones before the iPhone and personal music systems before the iPod) we already have connected TVs. Indeed, as I reported, I bought a Panasonic Smart TV last year and, bluntly, it is rubbish. Sure the picture is great but the interface is so unintuitive that it is a pain to use.
The CES show this year is majoring on what you can do/control via the ubiquitous smartphone. Clearly, your smartphone/tablet just must be the remote control of choice for your TV. Then there are all the ‘boxes’ needed to attach to your TV. Assuming you have decent broadband connection, all of these are becoming redundant. We use Sky+ less and less as more of our viewing is via iPlayer or the equivalent. More viewing is on demand than in ‘real time’. Films are via LoveFilm rather than DVD. The Cloud will allow us to save all of our old favourites.
So, I see Apple’s iTV (or whatever it will be called) as much more of an interface breakthrough with Apple packaging a whole range of (undoubtedly subscriber/paid for) services around the launch. Maybe, that ecosystem will all only work on an Apple screen? Hence all the rumours of Apple buying big screens ahead of the launch. In a way, that will be a shame as the screen is the only bit of my current Smart TV setup that I am happy with! But Samsung is already a hefty rival here - having a lead in both TV screens and smartphones but not the all important ecosystem.
But the TV is only one of the many things that will be controlled by our smartphones. Already British Gas is marketing a ‘smart boiler’ which actually works very well allowing you to monitor and control your central heating remotely. We have already raved about the potential for smartphone based telehealth. Reports out of CES say that ‘personal wellbeing’ apps are THE hit of the show. Indeed, another rumour doing the rounds is the Apple watch. That just seems to make so much sense as it combines a health monitoring device with the GPS requirements of a jogger/cyclist together with all your music. Possibly you can use it to tell the time too!
Apple, as usual, is not at CES. But the ‘Ghost of Apple’ stalks the show. Contrary to what some analysts say, I am still very bullish over Apple as I see several areas for Apple ‘game changers’ in 2013.