Apple ‘iTV,’ iPad mini in full production, analyst claims
An investment firm analyst claims Apple is in full production with both the iTV and the iPad mini, two rumored devices that the tech company has yet to announce.
Jefferies analyst Peter Misek said Foxconn, an Apple supplier, saw its revenues increase 5% from June, which is typically a flat period for the company. Misek said he believes the difference is the iPad mini.
Misek said the iPad mini will possibly be announced alongside the iPhone 5 at a Sept. 12 event that many people have said Apple will hold.
He also said an iTV will likely launch in either December or March, according to Forbes.
Misek said Apple will likely partner with AT&T; and Verizon for the iTV while also making set-top boxes for Comcast and other cable companies. The firm is now including 2 million iTV units in its early 2013 model at an average sales price of $1,250, according to 9 to 5 Mac.
The Jefferies report comes the same week as two reports by the Wall Street Journal with details about a set-top device that Apple has been talking about with cable TV operators. The device would let consumers watch live events and other content.
The latest Journal report says the new device would allow users to watch content at any time, like a digital video recorder. The device would let users watch shows from the beginning even after they have started playing in real time.
Besides that feature, the new Apple device would come with an interface similar to that of the iPad. The current Apple TV’s interface has received criticism, so a new interface would be welcomed.
It would also come with social media features that could include sharing shows with friends over Twitter. The report also says users could access content from the set-top box on their other iOS devices.
But the report says Apple is still not close to securing the agreements necessary for such a device.
There are a lot of reports right now, but keep in mind that until Apple holds a big event to unleash a product, it’s all just a rumor.
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