Edible Apple

Late last week, word spread that Foxconn chairman Terry Gou made mention of Apple’s upcoming HDTV.  News of Gou’s leak, so to speak, spread like wildfire and was taken as a confirmation that Apple’s HDTV plans were in full swing. Since then, however, Gou put that report to rest by neither confirming or denying the story. In a statement made to Foxconn, Gou said that it’s standing policy is not to comment, ever, on upcoming products.

At no time did [Gou] confirm that Foxconn was in development or manufacturing stages for any product for any of its customers.  He did say that  Foxconn is always prepared to meet the manufacturing needs of customers should they determine that they wish to work with Foxconn in the production of any of their products.   Any reports that Foxconn confirmed that it is preparing to produce a specific product for any customer are not accurate.

And putting the original report into context, Phillip Elmer DeWitt of CNN adds:

What none of these reporters mentioned (or apparently bothered to consider) is that Gou — whose factories assemble 40% of the world’s electronic devices — is one of the industry’s most secretive executives. He is privy to the future product plans of the most valuable electronics brands — not just Apple, but also Sony, Microsoft  Hewlett-Packard and the rest. He is trusted by his business partners because he never leaks their secrets.

Given how jealously Apple guards its own secrets, and how relentlessly it pursues those who spill them, what are the chances that Gou would say anything — ever — about an unannounced Apple product, real or imagined?

I’d say, nil.

Touche.