Is This The Mystical Apple TV With An OLED Screen?

The mystical Apple TV with an OLED display may actually be real. That’s at least according to theses leaked images from the Chinese microblogging site Weibo, which reportedly show Apple’s much-awaited TV in testing.

Ever since the biography of Steve Jobs revealed that the infamous tech CEO was believed to have finally ‘cracked’ TV, Apple fans across the globe having been awaiting the arrival of a standalone TV set from the company. Unfortunately, years after Steve’s passing, all those fans received was an updated Apple TV set-top box. While it received an app store and Siri functionality, it was hardly the device fans were waiting for.

Thankfully, the wait may soon be over; although don’t bet on it. While word of an Apple TV has been floated by famed venture capitalist Gene Munster since 2011, the company has time and time again resisted releasing a television set. These images also give no concrete evidence that Apple has changed its mind.

In the age of high-end smartphones with their excellent image quality, one has to wonder why this particular leak looks like it’s been shot through beer goggles. The poor-quality imagery means anyone assessing the photo can’t spot enough detail to ascertain whether the images are real. For instance, the supposed Apple logo on the back of the TV could quite easily be a sticker.

While the leaker who shared these images has been known to be reliable in the past, Apple fans have been suckered into believing fake rumours before. With no identifying information – who is to say this is the 60in OLED that it claims to be?

That’s not to say the images are 100% fake, although it’s unlikely that this is a 60in OLED TV. Apple has already promised a pro monitor to go with the refreshed Mac Pro, and this could quite easily be that monitor.

The TV market is a massively competitive place, with even some established players struggling to turn a profit. Mainstays Panasonic and Sony have struggled as of late, and profit margins are increasingly squeezed in the industry. Apple has bucked the trend in the past, however, developing a smartphone that now represents much of the company’s profits. Whether it will do the same in the TV industry, well, the jury is still out.