Apple iTV could be in stores by December: Report

Over the past few months, rumours and speculations about the Apple iTV had dwindled a lot. The rumour mills began churning once again after the publication of a report by Forbes claiming that the production of this integrated television set is in full swing, and the television would be available for purchase before the end of this year.

As per the report, Eric Savitz of Forbes quotes, “Contract manufacturer Hon Hai has begun production of the much discussed Apple iPad Mini tablet, Jefferies analyst Peter Misek asserts in a research note. Misek also contends that Apple‘s oft-rumored iTV product is now in production, and could show up in stores before year-end”.

Will we see this fabled TV before the year ends?

In a related report, commenting on the report by Jeffereies, 9to5Mac states, “While referring to the platform as iTV, Jefferies added Apple is planning to partner with Verizon and AT&T in addition to selling set-top-boxes for cable providers such as Comcast. According to the report, Apple will offer a “premium Apple television” offering content from Verizon and AT&T, as well as giving users an option for just a cable box for Comcast and possibly other cable operators. Content for users outside of the US was not discussed in the report. Jefferies is now including 2 million iTVs in its model for early 2013 with an average sale price of $1,250”.

Late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, in his biography had told author Walter Isaacson that he had ‘cracked it’, while referring to an integrated HDTV. However, there has been no concrete information regarding an Apple HDTV, also known as, Apple iTV. Isaacson did not wish to divulge information he had about any of Apple’s forthcoming products. With Foxconn CEO Terry Gou letting it slip that his company is getting ready to begin producing the Apple iTV, we may expect to see some official information soon.

An earlier report stated that Gou said Foxconn is making preparations for iTV, Apple Inc’s rumoured upcoming high-definition television, although development or manufacturing has yet to begin. iTV reportedly features an aluminium construction, Siri, and FaceTime video calling.

To get a better idea on what the iTV would entail, anonymous sources have revealed in the past that one could start watching a movie on the television set, pick up an iOS device such as an iPhone, and continue watching from where one last watched. Reports have emerged that the television would resemble Apple’s Cinema Displays, but it would be a lot larger. Like the report by China Daily, previous reports too have indicated that the iTV would be Siri-enabled, and have an iSight camera that enables making FaceTime calls.

Let us know your thoughts about an integrated Apple HDTV in the comments.