Apple likely to launch 65-inch TV by late 2014, says analyst
A Japanese analyst told The Wall Street Journal the TVs will cost between $1,500 and $2,500.
Will 2014 be the year that Apple unveils its much-rumored TV? One analyst thinks so.
Ultra-high definition Apple TVs with 65-inch and 55-inch frameless screens are likely to launch by the end of next year, according to Advanced Research Japan analyst Masahiko Ishino. Speaking with The Wall Street Journal, Ishino said that the TVs will probably sell at anywhere from $1,500 to $2,500.
One of Apple's goals is to do away with all of the tuners and cables required for conventional TVs, according to Ishino.
"It'll probably be more of a smart monitor than what we think of as a TV," the analyst said.
Apple also will rely on its usual component suppliers, Ishino added. LG Display will provide most of the LCD screens. Samsung will kick in the graphics processors. Corning will supply its Gorilla Glass 3 as a cover for the TV. And Foxconn will likely assemble the actual devices.
The journal didn't say where or how Ishino got his scoop. But it did report that Corning, LG Display, and Foxconn have been approached on Apple's project to manufacture a TV, citing information from "people familiar with the matter."
Analysts have been predicting the impending launch of an Apple TV for the past couple of years. When Apple fails to pull such a TV out of its hat, analysts seem to push back their expectations by another year. One of these years, they'll have to get it right.