Edible Apple

Hot on the heels of a report from the WSJ claiming that Apple is in talks with cable operators regarding a set-top box capable of running live Television programming and more comes a new research report from Jeffries & Co. analyst Peter Misek who turns the spotlight back on the long rumored Apple HDTV.

Believe it or not, but Misek writes that the rumored iTV is already in full production.

Recent data out of Sharp, Hon Hai, and other specialty chemical and TV component suppliers support this. Also, JDSU noted that they have a new non-gaming customer for its gesture control modules. They indicated this is a new “living room” based customer. We believe Apple will leverage AT&T’s and Verizon’s content deals for the iTV.

That said, Misek belives Apple’s iTV will, in fact, hit store shelves sometime during the fourth quarter of 2012 with an ASP of $1250. At the same time, Misek qualifies his prediction by stating that the release date may be pushed back on account of other new product announcements, including the iPhone 5 and the rumored release of an iPad Mini along with a complete revamp of Apple’s iPod lineup.

We expect either the iPad Mini to launch in CQ4 with the iTV either launching in CQ4 or CQ1.

Microsoft’s Surface tablets, the initial success of Google’s Nexus 7, and Amazon’s upcoming product launches could be affecting Apple’s launch schedule. These represent stiff competition vs. a likely lack of viable competition for the iTV over the next year. […]

There is also the possibility that Apple chooses to launch both products before year end. The iTV would then be in time for the Christmas selling season, but that would mean Apple having three huge product launches in a short timeframe and leave little for CY13 outside of the typical iPhone and iPad refresh.

via MacRumors