Munster: Apple television in December, iPhone 5 in October

by Christian Zibreg on May 25, 2012

Piper Jaffray’s resident Apple analyst Gene Munster is certainly the biggest proponent of a full-blown Apple television set and I guess you could say he’s actually started the whole craze in the first place.

It’s been a while since we last heard from him, but now Munster’s back with some updates to both iTV and iPhone 5 memes.

He sees an Apple-branded television debuting in December of this year and hitting store shelves in 2013 (hopefully, it won’t be a “terrible use of retail space”).

As for a sixth-generation iPhone, or the iPhone 5 as the press dubbed it, he agrees on the general consensus of an October timeframe, which also jives well with what iMore recently heard from sources, too… Read More

 

iTV? Think iHub.

by Christian Zibreg on May 24, 2012

According to Forrester Research, the key competitive advantage of Apple’s rumored television set – often referred to in media reports as the iTV – won’t be the television part per se.

Instead, one analyst thinks Apple should sell the world’s first non-TV TV, which would entail convincing folks they need a new screen in their lives.

It should enable the ultimate portability in that one should be able to hang it on any wall where the family congregates for the usual activities and of course it would run apps and represent the ultimate realization of everything Apple stands for… Read More

 

Apple board member says Steve Jobs wanted to design an iCar

by Cody on May 18, 2012

Fast Company highlights some interesting comments made by Apple board member, and J. Crew head, Mickey Drexler at the recent Innovation Uncensored conference. Drexler talked about all things Apple, including its late CEO Steve Jobs.

According to him, Jobs’ desire to rethink industries didn’t stop at computers, smartphones and other consumer electronics. Apparently he also wanted to reinvent the automotive industry as well. That’s right, Jobs’ wanted to build an iCar… Read More

 

On clueless analysts and iTV being such a “terrible use of retail space”

by Christian Zibreg on May 15, 2012

Pacific Crest’s Andy Hargreaves wins the coveted title for this week’s Most Idiotic Analysis concerning a rumored HD TV television set from Apple, aptly dubbed by the press the iTV.

In a note issued to clients on Tuesday, Hargreaves provided two arguments against an Apple-branded telly.

First, such a device would be of little value to couch potatoes unless it came with a bucket load of premium Hollywood entertainment. Up to a point, he argued Apple thus far has failed to get content owners in line to stream movies and television shows to the TV.

Bear with me for a sec.

Secondly, he wrote a 46-inch HD TV set “would be a terrible use of retail space relative to iPhone, iPad or the Apple TV set-top box”.

Has this guy heard of warehouses? What about jumbo-sized walls of Apple’s retail stores? And whoever said Apple would need to stock hundreds of big-screen iTVs in retail outlets, especially if they’ll fetch a cool $2,000 a pop, as rumored… Read More

 

Foxconn denies making any comment regarding Apple TV set

by Cody on May 14, 2012

It seems like rumors involving Apple’s secret TV project are getting debunked almost as fast as they are surfacing these days.

Just yesterday we found out that the Cupertino company is not involved in talks to purchase Loewe, a German TV manufacturer. And now Foxconn has deflated a rumor that its CEO confirmed the existence of an Apple TV set… Read More

 

Loewe confirms it is not in talks over a potential takeover by Apple

by Oliver Haslam on May 13, 2012

We told you not long ago that German TV maker Loewe was potentially the subject of an audacious takeover bid by iPhone and iPad maker, Apple. The rumor made a modicum of sense considering talk of an Apple Television being in the works just won’t go away.

Now though, such a takeover appears to be out of the question, with the Germans themselves saying that no such takeover talks are in process after contacting German site, Heise.

Rumors of a $113 million buyout have been quashed after Loewe’s official stance was recorded as there being ‘absolutely nothing to it.’ Read More

 

Rumor: Apple looking to acquire German television maker Loewe

by Cody on May 12, 2012

There’s been no shortage of talk regarding an Apple-branded TV set this year, as the entire television industry awaits the company’s entry into the market. Everyone wants to see if it can do for TVs, what it’s done for phones and tablets.

Well AppleInsider is adding more fuel to the fire today, as it’s reporting that Apple is in talks to purchase Loewe AG, a German TV manufacturer. Apparently, the iPad-maker has put an offer up of $100+ million for the company…

Read More

 

Foxconn readying iTV manufacturing using Sharp’s cutting-edge display plant, CEO hints

by Christian Zibreg on May 11, 2012

Apple is working on a much-anticipated full-blown television set, Foxconn CEO hinted in a Friday interview with a Chinese newspaper. It should feature an aluminum body, Siri voice commands and a sophisticated camera for FaceTime video calling. Foxconn is the world’s largest contract manufacturer and Apple’s favorite partner that gets commissioned to assemble their products.

Oh, and remember when Foxconn recently acquired an eleven percent stake in Japanese giant Sharp? The deal led to a 50-50 joint venture concerning Sharp’s cutting-edge display plant. Well, that was “one of the preparations made for the new device”, Foxconn CEO said.

One of the preparations could also be Apple buying a stake in Foxconn. Also important, as we explained Apple is likely interested to tap Sharp’s technology to produce Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide (IGZO) panels for own-branded television set… Read More

 

Source: iTV “resembles an Apple monitor, only much larger”

by Christian Zibreg on May 7, 2012

Despite Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster calling for an HD TV set from Apple for what now seems like an eternity (his latest headline says it’ll be “bigger than the smartphone”), the damn thing just wouldn’t materialize and instead remains vaporware. Per latest chatter coming from a source who claims to have seen an Apple HDTV prototype in person, it “resembles an Apple monitor, only much larger”.

It apparently packs in a sophisticated FaceTime camera with facial recognition and uses Siri to initiate FaceTime calls. It’s unclear whether this person saw one of the many prototypes that will never make it into a product or the actual 50-inch thing Jony Ive is said to hide in his design bunker… Read More

 

Analyst believes we won’t see an Apple television until 2014

by Cody on May 3, 2012

Despite the fact that Apple hasn’t given any indication that it’s working on a TV set, and a glaring lack of any concrete evidence, the Apple-branded television is one of the most highly anticipated products of 2012. It seems like everyone thinks it’s coming.

Everyone except JP Morgan’s Mark Moskowitz, that is. In a note to investors this morning, the analyst said that he doesn’t believe that economic conditions are right for Apple to release a TV set this year. And he doesn’t think we’ll see one until at least 2014… Read More

 
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