Apple is rumored to be working with Sharp to launch two new ultra high definition TV’s in the second quarter of 2014.
SmartHouse has been told during a trip to the USA that Apple has been talking to Hollywood content providers about 4K content delivery to a TV with some speculating that Apple is looking at a new way to deliver 4K content.
Masahiko Ishino, an analyst at Advanced Research in Japan claims that Apple is working on two sizes: 55″ and 65″. The models will feature a ‘frameless design’ with all connectivity built into a box similar to what Samsung is using for their $10,000 OLED TV’s.
The new TV’s could go on sale for as low as $1,500 for the 55″ and $2,500 for the 65″ model.
Hon Hai Precision Industry the Company that assembles the iPhone and iPad, has been collaborating with Sharp to develop the display panels
“It is still in the early stage of testing,” one of the people involved told the Wall Street Journal.
Apple has been testing TV prototypes for several years with insiders telling SmartHouse that the iPad maker is still uncertain as to whether they will make money selling a large screen TV up against LG and Samsung.
Google is currently cranking up their TV development with future Android OS capabilities set to deliver TV content and features such as a localized TV Guide.
Apple’s move into TV sets would intensify competition with some of its biggest suppliers, such as Samsung whose TV products are facing a peak in sales.
Hon Hai, also known as Foxconn, has been expanding into large high-definition TV capability after the Chinese Company took a 37.6% stake in a liquid-crystal-display factory owned by Sharp.
Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook recently suggested that the company’s interest in television has progressed beyond a “hobby.”
Turning on a TV today to going “backward in time by 20 to 30 years,” he told NBC News. “It’s an area of intense interest. I can’t say more than that.”
Sales of Apple’s current television hardware, the $125 Apple TV box, are picking up but remain small. The company sold 1.3 million in the quarter through September.
The device lets users view some Internet video on large screens but doesn’t offer traditional channel lineups. Apple has struck deals with video providers such as Netflix Inc. and Hulu LLC to offer content for the Apple TV.
