Would Apple stoop to making a TV dongle?

From Apple Considered New Connected TV ‘Dongle’, posted on The Information ($) Wednesday:

The tech giant has had internal discussions about introducing a low-priced streaming “dongle” that people could plug into the back of their TV sets, similar to Amazon’s Fire Stick or Google’s Chromecast, people familiar with the project said. The dongle could make Apple’s upcoming video streaming service—which will only be available on Apple devices such as the Apple TV, iPhones and iPads—more widely available. The service will be rolled out globally next year. Shows made originally for Apple will be free on the service…

Apple’s $179 Apple TV box has been losing share in the streaming-device market, while a range of cheaper devices made by Roku has been gaining ground. Roku had 37% of the overall market earlier this year, up from 33% in 2016, according to research firm Parks Associates. Apple’s share fell to 15% from 19% two years ago. Nearly 40% of households in the U.S. own a streaming media player, up 6% from the year before, according to Parks Associates.

Dongles, including those made by Amazon, Roku and Google, typically sell for between $25 and $50. Roku also makes boxes that retail for up to $119.

My take: Apple “considers” everything. As for “the service will be rolled out globally next year,” that’s not fact universally acknowledged.

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