Analyst: Amazon Fire TV a sign that Apple needs to refocus on its Apple TV

In a note to investor, Piper Jaffray Analyst Gene Munster said the Amazon TV should be a wake call to Apple that it must look at the Apple TV as a “focus product line” instead of a hobby. Munster is well-known Apple analyst, who repeatedly predicted Apple was working on a full Television set that has yet to debut. Munster argues that the debut of the new Amazon TV with improved hardware, voice input and gaming functionality highlights the need for an Apple TV refresh, which is long overdue. The Apple TV is on its third revision, having been updated last in March 2012. The third version of the Apple TV offered a few hardware improvements, but kept the same form factor and features of early revisions. In that time, Google has unveiled the Chromecast Stick and Roku has rolled out its Roku 3 and Roku Streaming stick devices. The Amazon TV, however, is the first product to really expand the media devices beyond streaming video to include gaming and music. The latest rumors suggest Apple will unveil a new Apple TV product sometime this spring with a launch later this year. The device will add apps and games, with support for bluetooth game controllers similar to the iPhone and iPad in iOS 7. Apple may also partner with cable providers to offer additional services and has been rumored to be in talks with Comcast. [Via AppleInsider] Continue reading →

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