Main points
- Apple may be developing an Apple TV with a camera and gesture controls for video conferencing, automated home functions, and a seamless user experience across devices.
- The potential camera feature appears to be similar to using an iPhone with FaceTime via gestures, but raises concerns about privacy and accessibility issues experienced with Microsoft’s Kinect.
- While the concept of a camera-equipped Apple TV is interesting, many question the necessity and usefulness of gesture controls, suggesting Apple is focusing on lowering prices and improving traditional TV remote capabilities.
A new Apple TV may be in development with a built-in camera and gesture controls, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports.
“… [T]Gurman said Apple still has grand ambitions in the smart home field. “It has discussed automating home functions and offers a revamped Apple TV set-top box with a built-in camera for FaceTime video conferencing and gesture-based control. And the technology will work seamlessly with the iPhone and Vision Pro cooperation.”
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No further details on the subject were provided, leaving us to speculate on how such functionality might be implemented into Apple’s popular streaming box.
The news comes shortly after reports that the company was canceling its internal electric vehicle project made headlines. This could allow Cupertino to allocate more R&D resources to its line of smart home products, which naturally includes Apple TV.
The concept seems to build on some features already present in the company’s device range.
The concept seems to build on some features already present in the company’s device range. Currently, if you’re part of the Apple ecosystem, you can use the camera on your iPhone or iPad to unlock FaceTime video calls on an Apple TV signed in with your Apple ID account.
FaceTime even supports a basic set of gestures. You can imbue your video calls with 3D effects, or “reactions,” as Apple calls them, by making one of several gestures. For example, a heart gesture will evoke love hearts on the screen, while a peace sign will fill the screen with balloons.
What does this remind us of Kinect?
If the whole idea of setting up a camera in front of a big screen and using gestures to swipe around the interface sounds familiar, that’s because it is. Microsoft experimented with the idea in the 2010s, eventually releasing Kinect for the Xbox 360 and Xbox One.
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The initial hype surrounding the Kinect was huge, but the device failed to catch on in the consumer market and the device was eventually phased out by Microsoft. Many of the same concerns about Kinect may still apply to a camera-equipped Apple TV. That said, there are privacy and security risks associated with having a sensor pointed at you all the time, as well as accessibility issues for those with motor difficulties and unable to easily use gesture controls.
Many of the same concerns about Kinect may still apply to a camera-equipped Apple TV.
Another issue plaguing Microsoft’s attempts at this concept is that its implementation can be haphazard. Of course, technology has advanced a lot since the days of Kinect, and Apple is sure to use some of the expertise it gained while designing the Vision Pro headphones to deliver a polished experience.
What features do Apple TV or its consumers really need?
The question that keeps popping up in my mind is a very basic one – do we really need Apple TV to go in this particular direction? If the set-top box is bundled with a camera module, its cost will inevitably rise. That could make it a hard sell, especially in a world where you can already use your iPhone’s camera to make basic FaceTime calls on your TV screen.
Instead, I think Apple should lower the price of its streaming box to better compete with other solutions on the market. I also find it hard to believe that most consumers would bother using gestures to navigate their Netflix or YouTube pages, even if the feature is well implemented and highly polished. This venerable TV remote has stood the test of time and offers reliable accessibility. More importantly, it is a navigation paradigm that is understood by comprehensive, universal consumers.
Apple’s final decision on the direction of the set-top box remains uncertain. If the company can leverage its Vision Pro gesture capabilities and make the experience “just work,” it’s entirely possible that the concept will gain traction. I just hope Apple doesn’t abandon the traditional TV remote in the process.