Foxconn Boss Confirms Building the New Apple ‘iTV’
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, who we all know as Foxconn, has gone on record saying that they are starting production on the new Apple TV. Though they admit that development has not yet begun, to support this new television manufacturing process, the company is preparing a new headquarters in Shanghai with construction having started Thursday.
Often referred to as the iTV (though Apple has yet to weigh in with an official word that this product is actually coming, let alone what it will be called if it does), expectations from consumers are running high. Most expect it will be an HDTV with similar specifications to the Apple’s current LED Cinema Display. Other rumors suggest we will see an “aluminum casing, iOS, voice-powered remote control features courtesy of Siri, and an iSight camera for FaceTime video chats.”
Some people who claim to have seen prototypes indicate that the iTV will resemble an Apple monitor, only larger. This would make sense given that Apple’s core competency is really with monitors and not traditional television sets (though the difference between the two is becoming hard to identify).
My personal bet on this one is that Apple is not manufacturing television sets at all. It may be true that they are delivering larger displays, but that wouldn’t come as a surprise as monitor sizes have generally increased over time. It also wouldn’t surprise me to see that new Apple monitors came with Apple TV technology integrated, instead of requiring additional hardware –which would also mean that for many of us, separate monitors and televisions would not be required (particularly with AirPlay also working so well from our mobile devices).
There is no consistent rumor that states when we will see this alleged television hit retail shelves. Initial speculation pointed to later in 2012, though if Apple is waiting for factory upgrades and the manufacturing process to begin, it seems more realistic to expect it toward 2014.
