Rumours surrounding a full-fledge Apple TV set is reaching feverish pitch at the moment. According to a report from Focus Taiwan, initial testing of a full-fledged Apple TV is in progress at Hon Hai Precision Industry Co.
Focus Taiwan reported that a Hon Hai source speaking under anonymity, informed them that, “the initial phase of tests on the TVs has kicked off.”
According to the report:
[quote] Nevertheless, the source said it is unlikely that shipments of the appliances will begin as soon as the end of next year.
The source also predicted that Apple TV shipments could be huge and that new Apple TV-related products might be put on display at the well-known international consumer electronics trade fair, CES, to be held in Las Vegas in January.
Asked whether the new Apple TV will use display panels produced by Japan’s Sharp Corp., the source said the possibility is not high.
According to the source, Apple’s new TVs will need flat panels ranging between 46 inches and 55 inches, which means that Hon Hai will not need to get its supply exclusively from Sharp.[/quote]
These sort of reports are a sure indication that Apple is about to do something special in the TV market. Especially, as Apple’s CEO Tim Cook is on record stating that, “an Apple TV is an area of intense interest at Apple.”
“The Hon Hai source said Apple’s new TVs will probably use flat panels produced by either Japanese or Taiwanese suppliers,” Focus Taiwan reported. “We have not yet confirmed the LCD panel supply source with our client.”
Source: Focus Taiwan
