Apple To Merge iOS And OS X In 2012

According to analyst Peter Misek,  Apple could start merging it’s iOS and Mac OS X as early as next year.

Peter Misek believes that merging the two operating systems, iOS and Mac OS X would lead to “synergies” that would allow customers to stream TV shows and movies, as well as other forms of media stored on Apple’s iCloud service, across smartphones, tablets, computers and AppleTV. He thinks this will include better gross margins and an ease in licensing of content for Apple.

“Users want to be able to pick up any iPhone, iPad, or Mac (or turn on their iTV) and have content move seamlessly between them and be optimized for the user and the device currently being used,” writes Pisek. “We believe this will be difficult to implement if iOS and OS X are kept separate.”

Misek also notes “We believe Apple is looking to merge iOS (iPhones/iPads) with OS X (Macs) into a single platform for apps and cloud services starting in 2012-13.” Misek also sees Macbook Air gaining Apple’s A6 processor, in the second half of 2012, or some time in 2013, following the debut of the chip in the “iPad 3” in the first quarter of 2012, and in the “iPhone 5” next summer. (Misek considers the forthcoming iPhone to be the “iPhone 4S.”

While, Macbook Pros and Mac desktops are expected to stick with current software and Intel (INTC) processors , but they could also switch to iOS by 2016.

“We believe Apple is ready to start sampling the A6 quad-core app processor and will be the first such multi-device platform capable of PC-like strength.”

Misek believes the “merger” of the platforms could boost unit sales across the product line, and he models a 50-cent-per-share-per-year boost to EPS for “every 1% increase in unit volumes” as a result. He also thinks a final merger into one 64-bit platform could boost Apple’s margins by 25 to 125 basis points.