Ditch that old Toshiba now — iTV is just around the corner.
Apple’s next breakthrough project, believed to have been the last on the plate of Steve Jobs and his design team, is expected to be an advanced television set, insiders say.
Industry experts believe it will revolutionize the way the world tunes in — the same way the iPod and iPad changed the way we listen to music and use the Internet.
Smallish versions of the new TVs — with 12- to 15-inch LED screens that will run Apple’s iOS operating system — could hit the market in time for the 2012 holiday rush, some Silicon Valley analysts predict.
The screens could turn TV sets into self-contained devices that run apps, play games, check your schedule and tweet about the Web videos you’re watching, the analysts say.
“TVs are still a messy thing. You have four or five boxes tied into TV, and you have to deal with a cable operator,” said Matt Buchanan, deputy editor of Gizmodo, a gadget blog. “It’d be great if Apple came in and fixed everything and all your devices worked together.”
The sets would also be able to sync with other Apple devices in the home, like a MacBook, iPhone or iPad.