Scooch, Apple TV puck, Cupertino reportedly testing actual set designs with Foxconn and Sharp
The Wall Street journal is reporting today that Apple is testing different TV set designs. The company has its Apple TV "hockey puck" device, which plays great with iPhones and iPads to display their content on the biggest screen in the house, and also stream various services, but the elusive TV set from Apple has been a subject of speculation for a long time.
It seems that its time is nearing, as, while "it isn't a formal project yet, it is still in the early stage of testing," according to the insiders, Foxconn is in the mix with its investment in Sharp's Sakai big-screen plant.
Sharp's factory is geared towards LCD screens of 60" and even above, and Foxconn's parent company investment in it gives it the right for half of the big panels produced there. Foxconn is already assembling the 60-inchers of Vizio, for example, so TV production is in its realm of experience, and we all know it does iPhones and iPads too, so Apple might completely close the circle with a TV set production there at some point.
It's all about the content and the platform with today's smart TVs, though, and Cupertino has proven to nail these in terms of consumer appeal, so we are curious what will come out of this television set testing. Apple has done TV design testing before during the years, but the rumors and pressure to release one have never been that intense.
source: WSJ (subscription req'd)
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