Even though there have been countless rumors that Apple is working on a full fledged TV set, its only TV related offering is the set-top box, Apple TV. This has been around for quite a while and initially the company itself, back then lead by Steve Jobs, dubbed it as a “hobby.” Since then the perception has always been that Apple has sort of always kept this product going just because its a hobby, but that doesn’t mean its not a popular product. In fact, Apple CEO Tim Cook remarked at the company’s shareholders meeting recently that “It’s a little more difficult to call it a hobby these days.”
Cook revealed exactly how much the Apple TV has brought in for the company in 2013 alone. The company sold millions of units around the world, revenue stemming from Apple TV crossed $1 billion for the first time last year. Even though a $1 billion might be considered as insignificant when compared to revenue generated by the company’s other products, its still impressive for a set-top box that costs $99.
The CEO didn’t elaborate much on the set-top box’s future. There have been multiple reports recently hinting towards a possible refresh of the Apple TV in the coming weeks. There are conflicting views on that, some are of the belief that a new Apple TV will be unveiled just before the WWDC 2014. The company itself has chosen not to reveal any details about it as yet.