Foxconn Begins Taking Orders For Apple TV

Apple’s Chinese manufacturing partner Foxconn has reportedly begun accepting orders to build an Apple TV set, according to Chinese news website Sina. The publication’s sources claim the long rumored iTV is currently in the “trial production stage,” however more details were not given. Earlier this month Foxconn’s CEO denied that his company would soon begin manufacturing a television for Apple.


 It has long been rumored that the Cupertino-based company was looking to enter the TV market with an HDTV that will reportedly look much like the company’s current LED Cinema Display. The device is said to feature an aluminum casing, iOS, Siri voice controls and an iSight camera for FaceTime video chats. Earlier reports claim that the device would debut later this year, however some reports peg it to launch in 2014.

Apple iTV Confirmed Launch By Foxconn

Foxconn Technology Group founder and chief executive Terry Gou has reportedly gone on record in stating that his company will soon begin manufacturing a television for Apple. Production has not yet begun, China Dailyreports, and the electronics manufacturing giant is currently preparing its facilities for Apple’s HDTV. The site claims Gou made the comments during a press conference in Shanghai on Friday. Apple’s long rumored HDTV, or “iTV” as it is often called, will reportedly look much like the company’s current LED Cinema Display. It is said to feature an aluminum casing, iOS, voice-powered remote control features courtesy of Siri, and an iSight camera for FaceTime video chats. Earlier reports claim that the device will debut later this year, though another recent report suggests that it might not launch until 2014.

Apple’s iTV Might not launch Until 2014

Rumors surrounding the imminent launch of an Apple-branded HDTV have been swirling for the better part of a year, and while some industry watchers expect the “iTV” to launch as early as this summer, one analyst suggests that we’re still more than a year away from seeing Apple launch an iOS-powered television. JP Morgan analyst Mark Moskowitz said on Thursday that his firm does not believe Apple will release an HDTV in the near future.

“We are not sure that the Apple premium could prevail in the TV market, unless there is a radical change of the user interface, integration of the TV programming and data content, and use of gesture or voice control,” the analyst wrote in a note to investors.

Instead, Apple is likely to introduce a more feature-rich version of the Apple TV, the company’s set top box that streams iTunes content and partner content to connected televisions. ”We believe Apple can design a smarter set top box to manage all components behind the end user’s TV experience, as well as eliminate the oft-cumbersome user interface provided by the cable and satellite operators,” Moskowitz wrote.

The analyst then sees a possible HDTV launch some time in 2014, though he notes that Apple’s desire to maintain high margins on its products could potentially pose a barrier.

Earlier reports suggested that Apple’s Siri-enabled television is already being tested by partners ahead of a fourth-quarter launch this year. The company’s competition is said to be in “crisis mode” as Apple prepares to dominate the high end of the TV market with a product that features voice and gesture controls along with a unique content model that offers channels in a format similar to apps.

Apple In Talks To Stream EPIX Films To Apple TV

Apple is reportedly in talks to stream films owned by EPIX — a joint venture among Paramount Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Lionsgate — across a variety of devices, including the long-anticipated iTV, according to a report from Reuters. Two people with knowledge of the negotiations told the publication that the talks are in the preliminary stages and no agreement is considered near. The Cupertino-based company is reportedly looking to beef up the content offered through its Apple TV set-top box and upcoming devices. An agreement could prove troublesome, however, due to EPIX’s $200 million agreement with Netflix, which gave the company exclusive streaming rights through September.