Apple (AAPL) Said to Be in Talks with Suppliers Over 'iTV,' But Details Remain Fuzzy
Suppliers told the WSJ that a high-definition television set "isn't a formal project yet" and that it is "still in the early stage of testing." The sources said that Apple was still evaluating several designs on a potential TV set and has been working on new designs all of the time over the last few years.
Sources did say that venerable Taiwanese ODM Foxconn would be working with Sharp on the project.
Does this mean no 2013 launch for an Apple HDTV? After all, Apple still might be negotiating with cable TV operators over broadcasting rights, something it would like to hammer home before any sort of launch. Should a deal be reached, its likely that there would be months-more of development on the set to integrate the different providers.
In any case, all signs point to Apple launching some sort of HDTV, though timing and other details are likely to remain fuzzy for a while. Unless another Apple employee happens to leave a prototype TV set at a random California bar.
Shares of Apple are indicated for a higher open Wednesday. The stock closed up over 2 percent on Tuesday.