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Apple’s  iTVs 46" to 55”  Enters Testing phase at Foxconn.

Initial testing of Apple Inc.'s television sets have gotten underway at Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., a source at the Taiwan-based company said Wednesday. (Hon Hai, the conglomerate behind Foxconn)

Foreign news media have reported recently that Apple is working with Hon Hai, the main assembler of the U.S. consumer electronics giant's iconic iPhones and iPads, to test several designs for its long-talked-about TVs.

Hon Hai, the world's largest contract electronics maker, has declined to respond to the reports, saying that it never comments on specific business deals with any single client.

However, the Hon Hai source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the initial phase of tests on the TVs has kicked off.

Nevertheless, the source said it is unlikely that shipments of the appliances will begin as soon as the end of next year.

The source also predicted that Apple TV shipments could be huge and that new Apple TV-related products might be put on display at the well-known international consumer electronics trade fair, CES, to be held in Las Vegas in January.

Asked whether the new Apple TV will use display panels produced by Japan's Sharp Corp., the source said the possibility is not high.

According to the source, Apple's new TVs will need flat panels ranging between 46 inches and 55 inches, which means that Hon Hai will not need to get its supply exclusively from Sharp.

Hon Hai Chairman Terry Gou's investment company holds a stake in a liquid-crystal-display factory owned by Sharp, Sakai International Operation, which focuses on producing 60-inch LCD panels.

The Hon Hai source said Apple's new TVs will probably use flat panels produced by either Japanese or Taiwanese suppliers.

"We have not yet confirmed the LCD panel supply source with our client," he said.

Apple CEO Tim Cook told NBC News recently that the company's interest in TV has grown beyond a "hobby."

"It's an area of intense interest," Cook said. 

Softpedia

Rumors: Apple iTV in trial production stage.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

Rumors: Apple iTV in trial production stage.



Foxconn “has received orders for the Apple TV, and is currently in trial production stage,” reports China Business News (via Business Insider). 


The unconfirmed data comes just over two weeks after Foxconn Chairman Terry Gou was reportedly mistranslated as saying that his company, as well as Japanese partner Sharp, had begun “making preparations” for the production of an iTV. No additional information on date of release has yet been put forth.

Related post:

Rumors: Apple`s Smart TV December, iPhone 5 October.

2012: Samsung and LG unlikely to sell Apple OLED panel TVs. iTV delayed, waiting to Sharp.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

The chance is low for Apple to launch so-called iTV products in the second quarter of 2012 as there are no signs indicating that Sharp is ready to ship IGZO (indium gallium zinc oxide) panels to Apple.

Apple reportedly has sought to source IGZO panels from Sharp for the production of iTVs as Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, which unveiled their 55-inch Super OLED and AMOLED TV models, respectively, at CES, both have regarded OLED TVs are their killer products for 2012, and therefore the two Korea-based companies are unlikely to share OLED panel production capacities with Apple.

Although Sharp's 8G lines are able to produce panels in 32- 46- and even 55-inch sizes, the Japan-based panel maker seems unready to start shipping the IGZO panels needed for the production of iTV sets.

 Additionally, yield rates of Sharp's IGZO panels are also a major concern.