Edible Apple

The rumblings surrounding the long-rumored Apple HDTV continue to get louder. Adding some more fuel to the fire, All Things D reported yesterday that Apple may have tapped Sharp to produce the displays for the as of yet unconfirmed Apple HDTV.

Over at Jeffries, analyst Peter Misek suggests that Sharp is retooling a production line at its factory in Sakai specifically to manufacture modified amorphous TFT LCD panels that will be used in the so-called iTV. If all goes well, the line should be ready for commercial production by February of 2012, which means we could see Apple’s take on the TV by midyear.

What’s more, Misek relays that TV manufacturers are extremely worried about Apple entering their space and perhaps doing to the HDTV market what they did to M3 players and smartphones.

“Based on our discussions,” Misek writes, “other TV manufacturers have begun a scrambling search to identify what iTV will be and do. They hope to avoid the fate of other industries and manufacturers who were caught flat footed by Apple.”

Yep, that sounds about right. Companies waiting to see what Apple has planned – instead of formulating their own strategy – and simply copying and pasting the hard work Apple puts into practice. I suppose if it works for Samsung, why not everyone else?

It’s unheard of for Apple to cancel a product at the last minute if it’s not exactly up to snuff, so until we hear Tim Cook and co. take the stage and officially announce it, an Apple HDTV should clearly be placed in the “I’ll believe it when I see it” drawer. That said, speculative rumors indicate Apple will announce a standalone TV set in late 2012 ahead of a planned 2013 launch.

via All Things D