Apple manufacturer Foxconn looks past iPhone, anticipates iTV orders

By Christian Zibreg on May 7, 2013

Hon Hai Precision Industry – better known in the Western world as Foxconn – is the world’s top manufacturer of consumer electronics. And with Apple products – the iPhone in particular – accounting for at least 40 percent of its revenue, the contract manufacturer’s fortunes are tied to Apple’s.

Needles to say, the company’s leadership never complained about relying on Apple so much as long as sales were growing substantially. But with Apple’s growth cooling off amid a broader sales lull affecting pricey high-end smartphones like the iPhone, Foxconn is now looking to lessen its exposure on the Apple smartphone and is apparently gearing up for a mass-scale production of an Apple-branded television set, the rumored iTV… Read More

 

Study finds smart TV adoption growing rapidly, market ready for iTV?

By Cody Lee on May 3, 2013

Although we continue to hear reports regarding Apple’s work on a full-blown television set, pundits remain skeptical that the project will ever see the light of day. They say the margins are too small, and the demand for internet TVs is too weak for Apple to make a move.

But the latter part of that theory isn’t entirely accurate, according to a new report from media research firm TDG. Their studies show that Smart TV adoption is actually growing rapidly around the world, with 25% of broadband households now owning at least one set… Read More

 

Analyst sees Apple television with ‘iRing’ motion controller and ‘mini iTV’ secondary screen

By Christian Zibreg on Apr 3, 2013

A rumored standalone television set from Apple dubbed iTV continues to be the subject of tremendous speculation, with one analyst recently citing supply chain checks allegedly pointing to a 4K Ultra HD set being built by Apple’s manufacturing partner Foxconn and slated for an early-2014 launch.

Another analyst now joins the conversation with some pretty wild predictions, also based on – you guessed right – checks with Apple’s suppliers. Brian White of Topeka Capital Markets told one publication Wednesday that after meeting with Apple’s Asian suppliers he now sees some pretty wild stuff in the pipeline.

Specifically, Cupertino will be launching an Apple-branded television set later this year, White says, along with a motion controller of sorts called iRing and a secondary display… Read More

 

Rumor: iTV has Foxconn-made display, ships in early-2014

By Christian Zibreg on Mar 28, 2013

Earlier in the week, the somewhat reliable DigiTimes reported that Apple’s rumored standalone TV set could ship later this year with a 4K Ultra HD screen. Another report out from Asia has it that Apple’s contract manufacturer Hon Hai Precision Industry, better known as Foxconn, will supply high-resolution panels for the product.

Sources estimate Apple won’t start shipping its television set until next year at the earliest… Read More

 

Supply chain chatter claims Apple is building 4K ‘Ultra HD’ TV set

By Cody Lee on Mar 26, 2013

It’s been a while since we’ve heard any new information regarding Apple’s rumored TV project. It seems ‘iTV’ speculation has been replaced by talk of Apple’s secret plans for the smartwatch space, and its expected entry into the budget handset market.

But that changed this evening with a new report out of China, claiming that Apple has been in discussions with Foxconn over the production schedule of a TV set. And the 4K ‘Ultra HD’ television will finally land in either late 2013, or early next year… Read More

 

Here’s an iTV concept Jony Ive would approve of

By Christian Zibreg on Mar 13, 2013

Resident Apple mockup artist Martin Hajek is on a roll lately. Just a day following his publication of the traditional iWatch concept which adorns the April 2013 cover of the MacUser magazine, he’s back at it with a new Apple television mockup that has Jony Ive written all over it. The beautiful renderings are based on the familiar iMac look and sport the sinister black design, with details reminiscent of the iPhone 5. Go past the fold for the full awesomeness… Read More

 

Gullible analyst says no iTV this year because Apple finds 4K display too costly

By Christian Zibreg on Mar 12, 2013

An analyst with a terrible track record wrote in a note to clients issued Tuesday that Apple won’t release a standalone HD TV set in 2013 after all. As much as Apple wanted to, the report has it, the company has allegedly found ultra high-resolution 4K panels to be prohibitively expensive.

You should take this particular analyst’s observations with a healthy dose of skepticism: the same guy called for an Apple-branded HD TV announcement at last year’s WWDC, later mulling full iTV production for August 2012. He repeatedly said iTV was “imminent” (calling it the iPanel), having also missed with an Apple TV related media event (and a bunch of other things that never came to be)… Read More

 

What if iWatch isn’t actually an Apple smart watch, but an aptly named TV?

By Christian Zibreg on Feb 18, 2013

As we entered 2013, the rumor mill has been increasingly churning out speculative reports regarding Apple’s rumored TV set and smart watch projects, almost on a daily basis. Even Bloomberg joined the frenzy with claims that Apple has as many as a hundred product designers working on a wearable smart watch-like computer that “may perform some of the tasks now handled by the iPhone and iPad.” But here’s the kicker: what if this group is instead working on a television set – fittingly referred to as an iWatch? Read More

 

iTV could use LG Display’s OLED panels

By Christian Zibreg on Feb 18, 2013

LG Display, a major Apple supplier that makes high-resolution screens for the iPad mini, fourth-generation iPad, 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display and redesigned iMacs, plans to allocate more than 706 billion won, or approximately $656.7 million, toward building organic light emitting diode (OLED) screens for high-definition television sets by the end of June 2014, according to The Wall Street Journal. The investment will allow LG Display to make some 26,000 sheets per month for customers seeking 55-inch or larger television screens.

It was recently revealed that Apple hired LG Display’s OLED expert Dr. Jueng Jil Lee. Another clue: Apple already holds several patents involving flexible OLEDs, OLED based BLUs for LCDs, OLED control schemes and others… Read More

 

Apple seeking someone to help deliver next-gen Apple TV features

By Christian Zibreg on Feb 15, 2013

An interesting new Apple job listing has been spotted, indicating that Apple has “high-priority” next-generation Apple TV features in development. That’s an interesting choice of words considering Apple continuously refers to its $99 set-top box as a hobby business. And with recent talk of Apple about to update the Apple TV platform this fall with a software development kit for third-party apps and games, all of the pieces of the puzzle are starting to fall nicely in place… Read More

 

Apple (again) mentioned in a rumored Loewe takeover bid

By Christian Zibreg on Feb 13, 2013

In a déjà vu moment, Reuters this morning reported that shares of the German luxury TV maker Loewe surged 33 percent on renewed talk of a possible acquisition by Apple. The news gathering organization quotes a trader who claims Apple supposedly wants to bid 4 euros a share for Loewe, or approximately $5,28 a share, a 40 percent premium above the company’s closing price on Tuesday.

Loewe’s current market cap sits at 53 million euros, or about $71 million. With its $137 billion cash mountain, Apple could buy Loewe outright without blinking. Nearly one-third of Loewe, or 28 percent, is owned by Sharp, an Apple supplier that was involved in the Apple television rumor last summer… Read More

 

Analyst sees Apple TV media event in March (update: nope)

By Christian Zibreg on Feb 13, 2013

Apple could be holding an Apple TV-related media event next month, according to Jeffries analyst Peter Misek. Despite the mounting rumors that Apple is working on a standalone television set, channel checks led the analyst to believe that the assumed event will serve as a launchpad for a software development kit allowing programmers to write third-party applications for Apple’s $99 set-top box, something a lot of people have been clamoring for… Read More

 

iWatch, iTV: an $80 billion opportunity

By Christian Zibreg on Feb 12, 2013

The iWatch, a rumored Apple smart watch, and the iTV, a rumored standalone Apple TV set, may be just vapourware for the time being, but that’s not stopping analysts from guesstimating what the two gadgets might contribute to Apple’s bottom line.

Per analyst Katy Huberty, assuming annual sales of 50 million units and an average selling price between $200 and $300, the iWatch could drive an incremental $10 to $15 billion in revenue, or $2.50 to $4.00 in per-share earnings, each year. Dick Tracey’s futuristic wrist watch has nothing on it… Read More

 

Californian tech industry insiders claim summer iTV launch is ‘a certainty’

By Christian Zibreg on Feb 11, 2013

Watchers and analysts alike are increasingly expecting that Apple will reveal its cards at its upcoming developers conference, WWDC, this summer. First, a set of dubious images made rounds this morning, allegedly depicting the iPhone 5S on an assembly line and hinting at a likely summer launch.

However, eagle-eyed bloggers were quick to point out a few glaring inconsistencies, eventually debunking these spy shots as depicting an iPhone knock-off. Then an analyst said a cheaper iPhone model was due in June and now another report claims an Apple-branded television set is coming this summer… Read More

 

Munster (again) sees Apple shipping iTV and new remote in 2013

By Christian Zibreg on Jan 22, 2013

You gotta give it to Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster, arguably for years the most vocal proponent of a full-fledged Apple television set. Speaking to Bloomberg today, Munster re-iterated his belief Apple is working on releasing a standalone television set in 2013. His thinking is apparently based in checks with Apple’s suppliers and he also sees the Cupertino firm shipping an intelligent remote that, in his mind, should be an important part of the rumored iTV… Read More

 

Apple gains 4% ahead of CES and a smart watch

By Ed Sutherland on Jan 2, 2013

If you are just shaking off the holiday headaches, just think of Apple. After taking a drubbing from Wall Street analysts worried about everything from the fiscal cliff to too few (or too many) sales of iDevices, the iPhone maker woke up this morning to its stock actually up. After rising 4 percent in early morning trading, AAPL shares remain positive. Why the better performance, after being jostled around like a visitor to Time Square on New Year’s Eve? Apparently, it has to do with next week’s CES and talk that Apple could create an iWatch… Read More

 

NPD: consumers find current ‘smart’ TVs a little too smart

By Cody Lee on Jan 1, 2013

The year is now 2013, and according to Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, Apple is going to release a new television product in the next 6 months. Of course, you can’t always believe what analysts say. But you can’t always ignore them either.

The 20+ year senior researcher believes that Apple’s TV device will feature a completely rebuilt remote control and a UI that makes finding content a lot easier than current solutions. And judging by data from a new NPD survey, it would be a hit… Read More

 

Samsung teases new TV launch at CES 2013

By Christian Zibreg on Dec 27, 2012

While the iTV rumors have continued unabated right throughout 2012, little concrete supply chain leads do we have of Apple building a full-blown television set. Meanwhile, the sunset of Japan’s television business and ongoing struggles of Sharp, Sony and Panasonic combined have paved the way for the rise of new competition from South Korea, chiefly Samsung Electronics whose Smart TV sets have taken over the entire television market by storm. And as Apple is pondering its next move, its frenemy is building up on the CES 2013 hype with a teaser that promises a new TV launch… Read More

 

Foxconn reportedly testing 46 to 55-inch Apple television sets

By Christian Zibreg on Dec 19, 2012

A new rumor out from Apple’s supply chain in Asia has it that Foxconn, the world’s largest (and Apple’s favorite) contract manufacturer is testing some badass television panels with the shining Apple logo on them. But don’t get your hopes up high, because shipments of iTVs are unlikely to begin before 2014.

The rumor corroborates last week’s report by The Wall Street Journal claiming Apple is working with component suppliers in Asia to test several TV-set designs. Unnamed manufacturing sources also warn that the possibility of Apple using IGZO display panels from Sharp “is not high” as the firm is allegedly testing display panels ranging from 46 to 55 inches diagonally… Read More

 

Brightcove CEO sees a bright future for Apple television

By Christian Zibreg on Dec 17, 2012

Brightcove founder, chairman and CEO Jeremy Allaire previously shared some interesting observations regarding Apple’s living room strategy, saying that AirPlay technology and third-party apps will set a mythical Apple television set apart from traditional TV sets. And with Tim Cook telling NBC that television remains an “area of intense interest” for Apple.

Jeremy this morning shared some additional observations concerning the Apple TV strategy, noting Apple should best serve its customers with a companion $149 device rather than a full-blown HD TV set costing as much as two thousand bucks… Read More

 
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