Steve Jobs in 2010 on Apple TV’s future: Magic Wand, apps, Web browser

<a href="http://9to5mac.com/write-a-community-article/apple-tv-concept-03/">Apple TV Concept</a>

An light of recent rumors of an imminent update…

The late-2010 Apple executive meeting took place following the introduction of the second-generation Apple TV, which brought a new design, new content, new internal components, streaming, and a refreshed user interface. Since that product’s debut in fall 2010, the only updates to the product were a spring 2012 speed boost with 1080p content streaming, an overhauled user interface, and new content channels.

But what did Steve Jobs have in mind all the way back in 2010 for future versions of the Apple TV? In the email chain, Jobs proposed “apps, browser, [and] magic wand?”

Apps and browser seem fairly straight forward: an App Store on the Apple TV and probably a forked version of the Safari web browser from iOS. The apps talk is interesting in light of sources telling us earlier this year that Apple is planning to soon release an updated Apple TV set-top box with new kinds of content, including the possibility of an app or gaming store.

The Magic Wand topic is more interesting in light of some recent Apple patents. The Magic Wand, “finally cracked” how to simplify the TV experience. Perhaps the Apple TV’s Magic Wand is what Jobs was envisioning.

Jobs also discussed new types of content, including TV subscriptions, shows from NBC, CBS, & Viacom, and it is unclear if Apple has been in negotiations with content providers over those channels. Apple has reportedly been meeting with cable providers such as Time Warner and Comcast about opening up their content for simple integration with future Apple TV models.

Given the timing of the email chain, it is uncertain if anything Apple TV-related mentioned by Jobs will actually become reality or if that email was purely on-the-fly brainstorming. Only time will tell, and that time will likely come soon.