Apple iTV Prepped for Summer 2012 Launch
Apple's partnership with Sharp is leading to faster production of the iTV that is rumored to launch in the summer of 2012.
The Tokyo Times published a blog post that reported Apple commissioned Sharp to begin manufacturing large displays for an Apple-branded television set. Sharp is said to be speeding up the production process of Apple's product next January.
Faster production points to a summer 2012 launch for eager customers.
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The blog provided more insider info on Apple's TV project.
"The partnership with Sharp is made at the expense of South Korean rival Samsung Electronics, which Apple is competing especially on the smartphones and tablet markets, according to Peter Misek, an analyst of New York-based investment company Jefferies,” said TT’s blog.
"Apple’s rivals, including Samsung, are making efforts to figure out what will be Apple’s next move on the TV segment. Apple will use a production line at Sharp’s Sakai factory to produce a modified version of the so-called amorphous TFT screens. The "iTV" may start production in February, the analyst said,” the blog added.
Steve Jobs was quoted several times in his posthumous biography about creating such a television set.
Jobs reportedly told the book’s biographer, Walter Issacson: "I'd like to create an integrated television set that is completely easy to use. It would be seamlessly synched with all of your devices and with iCloud. It will have the simplest user interface you could imagine. I finally cracked it."
Last month, an Apple patent was made public by the U.S. Patent Office. The details surrounding this patent revolved around an Apple device capable of "real-time video process control using gestures."
Some say these features will allow the iTV to edit videos or transfer footage from the television to a telephone.
It is also believed that the iTV will have Siri-like features, such as speaking to the television set to search for specific films and shows.
One other rumored featured of the iTV is its ability to stream content from the Internet and view them separately on the iTV.
