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Foxconn Gearing Up to Build Apple TV Set
Foxconn, Apple's leading Asian manufacturing partner, is gearing up to make the much talked-about, high-definition Apple television set, according to a new report.
China Daily is reporting that Foxconn Chief Terry Gou said during a recent news conference in Shanghai that his company has been making preparations to start producing Apple's TV set, though development and manufacturing of the device has not yet begun. This "iTV" will reportedly feature an aluminum body, the voice-activated virtual assistant Siri, and FaceTime video calling.
Meanwhile, Cult of Mac this week claimed to have a source who has seen a working prototype of the forthcoming TV set. Cult of Mac's unnamed source said the prototype resembles Apple's current Cinema Display monitors — only much larger, and has Siri along with a built-in iSight camera for making FaceTime video calls.
The iSight camera is quite sophisticated, with facial-recognition technology and the ability to zoom in on a user's face and even follow them around the room. This means users will be able to make a video call from across the living room, instead of having to sit directly in front of the TV. And, they will reportedly be able to initiate the call with Siri.
No word yet on when the rumored device will be released or how much it will cost.
Rumors about an Apple-based television set have been making the rounds since last year after Walter Isaacson's Steve Jobs biography mentioned that the late Apple co-founder was working on an Apple-branded TV before his death on Oct. 5. Apple, however, has made no announcements.
Those of you hoping to snag an Apple-produced television set this holiday season might be out of luck. JP Morgan analyst Mark Moskowitz said recently that an Apple-branded TV set will likely appear "in years, not quarters." But Moskowitz's projections differ from that of Peter Misek, an equity analyst with Jefferies, who said in March that production on an Apple TV set could begin in May or June for a late-2012 launch.
In related news, Foxconn said recently that it will share the initial costs of improving working conditions at its factories with Apple.
China Daily is reporting that Foxconn Chief Terry Gou said during a recent news conference in Shanghai that his company has been making preparations to start producing Apple's TV set, though development and manufacturing of the device has not yet begun. This "iTV" will reportedly feature an aluminum body, the voice-activated virtual assistant Siri, and FaceTime video calling.
Meanwhile, Cult of Mac this week claimed to have a source who has seen a working prototype of the forthcoming TV set. Cult of Mac's unnamed source said the prototype resembles Apple's current Cinema Display monitors — only much larger, and has Siri along with a built-in iSight camera for making FaceTime video calls.
The iSight camera is quite sophisticated, with facial-recognition technology and the ability to zoom in on a user's face and even follow them around the room. This means users will be able to make a video call from across the living room, instead of having to sit directly in front of the TV. And, they will reportedly be able to initiate the call with Siri.
No word yet on when the rumored device will be released or how much it will cost.
Rumors about an Apple-based television set have been making the rounds since last year after Walter Isaacson's Steve Jobs biography mentioned that the late Apple co-founder was working on an Apple-branded TV before his death on Oct. 5. Apple, however, has made no announcements.
Those of you hoping to snag an Apple-produced television set this holiday season might be out of luck. JP Morgan analyst Mark Moskowitz said recently that an Apple-branded TV set will likely appear "in years, not quarters." But Moskowitz's projections differ from that of Peter Misek, an equity analyst with Jefferies, who said in March that production on an Apple TV set could begin in May or June for a late-2012 launch.
In related news, Foxconn said recently that it will share the initial costs of improving working conditions at its factories with Apple.