Foxconn has been reported to be in talks to buy more shares of display panel maker Sharp, once again fueling speculation about Apple’s rumored television set.
AppleInsiderFoxconn Chairman Terry Gou revealed at his company’s annual meeting on Monday that they are in talks to buy more shares of Sharp after a recent steep fall in share price, according to Reuters. The report noted that an alliance with Sharp “could open the way for (Foxconn) to push for orders for Apple’s much-anticipated Apple TV,” referring to a rumored full-fledged television set from Apple.
Foxconn purchased a 10 percent stake in Sharp in March, worth $808 million, in an attempt to help boost Sharp’s struggling LCD business by helping create demand for products from Sharp’s state-of-the-art LCD factory in Sakai, Japan.
The deal immediately prompted speculation that the companies were hoping to enter Apple’s supply chain for the company’s highly anticipated television set. It has been suggested that Sharp’s Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide (IGZO) panels would be desirable for the Apple television set.
Foxconn and Sharp are both already part of Apple’s supply chain, Foxconn is responsible for assembling devices like the iPhone, iPad, and Macs. Sharp already supplies Retina Displays for the new iPad.
Foxconn Chairman Gou said at his company’s annual meeting that the partnership with Sharp is good for his company, “I’m proud to say the cooperation with Sharp will let us beat Samsung in terms of clearness — high resolution,” Gou said.
