Apple TV may take longer than expected

Apple may take longer than expected to enter the TV business fully with a new flatscreen device, according to US press reports, citing a company update by Pacific Crest analyst Andy Hargreaves following a briefing he received from Apple’s senior vice-president for internet services Eddy Cue and chief financial officer Peter Oppenheimer.

Cue reportedly said that Apple would only enter the markets where it feel it can address key problems and create a great customer experience, indicating that creating a better user interface would not be enough on its own if Apple could not deliver content in a new way.

The report would appear to confirm that Apple is struggling with the existing pay TV model of bundling content and selling it through distributors, as well as the problem of achieving scale internationally.