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Apple might be buying Loewe, the German maker of luxury tellies, AppleInsider reports.
If it does prove true, this could be the biggest clue yet as to what to expect from the Cupertino company’s upcoming TV set. Namely, a clean aesthetic, big screens and plenty of customisation options. There might not be long to wait as a source claims Loewe, “has been advised by its financial advisor to accept the offer and a final decision is scheduled to be announced internally before 18 May 2012”. That’s just five days away.
Apple is said to be offering 87.3 million euros (£70 million) for the company. A drop in the ocean, considering Apple is said to be about to become the world’s first trillion dollar company.
Loewe certainly makes some pretty fancy TVs. It’s been in the market since 1929, and employs around 1,000 workers in 50 countries. It also makes a speaker featuring Apple’s AirPlay tech for streaming music.
The two companies have different approaches but share a similar focus on design. If Apple does gobble up Loewe, that’ll scorch rumours that emerged last week saying that Apple’s TV — or iTV, if you will — would look like a Cinema Display.
Apple’s standalone TV is also said to feature Siri for voice-activated controls, and possibly Kinect-style motion controls. Well, Steve Jobs did tell his biographer Walter Isaacson that it would feature, “the simplest user interface you could imagine,” so I’m expecting something pretty special. The chief of China-based Apple manufacturer, Foxconn, also said it was readying itself for the Apple iTV.
Apple is said to be in talks with US TV channel Epix to bring its range of movies to the TV. It rolled out an updated Apple TV set-top box recently, with a new user interface, which could also help pave the way for the standalone set.
Should Apple buy Loewe? And would you buy an Apple TV set if it was a rebadged Loewe? Let me know in the comments or on our Facebook page.
