A new rumor shooting about the Intertubes claims that Sharp is all set to start delivering LCD TV panels to Apple partner Foxconn to allow the assembly of the much discussed, but not yet officially announced Apple television sets. Q3 of 2012 is the rumored time frame for deliveries to begin.
The details were reported Thursday morning on Chinese news site 21cbh.com, and summarized by analyst Brian White of Topeka Capital Markets. According to the report, Foxconn originally expected to begin receiving LCD TV panels for an Apple television in the fourth quarter of this year, but that scheduled arrival from Sharp has apparently been moved up.
The site reportedly spoke with a Sharp executive and other sources at the company, and were led to believe that LCD TV panel orders have been placed for the much anticipated Apple television. The report suggests the full-featured television set could be made available in time for the 2012 holiday season.
“In our view, a holiday launch would make for a very merry holiday season for Apple and consumers,” White said. “However, we will continue to monitor the data points surrounding the timing of this launch as they could change.”
In March, Foxconn purchased a 10 percent stake in Sharp, worth $808 million, in an effort to assist Sharp’s struggling LCD business. It was speculated at the time that both companies were hoping to enter Apple’s supply chain for the rumored television set. Sharp is already a major display supplier for Apple, including Retina displays for the new iPad.
White believes the pieces are in place for Apple to launch a full-fledged HDTV in the near future. With just a 2 percent unit share in the LCD TV market, White believes Apple could generate sales of $10 billion per year.
