14 DAY TRIAL // Gene Munster, rejoice! Apple has reportedly ordered Foxconn to commence production of its “smart” TV, as predicted by you! The TV is currently in trial production stage, the sources said.
Finance expert Gene Munster is known to have taken several trips to Asia to learn first-hand what parts Apple was ordering from suppliers. Many of his inquiries yielded results that supported his theory. It now appears he was right.
Sources in China talking to one of the country’s prominent newspapers have said that Foxconn is now building Apple’s rumored TV set, as predicted by Munster.
The product isn’t exactly confirmed, but this is the first time (following countless similar stories) that the “smart” Apple TV is beginning to sound like reality.
While others share this belief, Munster is the only Wall Street analyst who always stood by the idea that Apple would launch a full-fledged TV experience between 2011 and 2013.
An analyst at investment bank Piper Jaffray, Gene Munster, recently predicted that Apple would make the smart TV product official at a special event this December. While he may still be wrong, he foresaw that 42 - 55-inch set from Apple would be physically available next year, and that it would retail for US$1,500 - $2,000.
"We believe that Apple smart TVs can occupy 10% of the global TV market in one to three years," said Muster, adding that Apple’s smart TVs would be integrated with the iPhone and iPad for remote controlling. Siri technology would also be used in the product, he said.
Want China Times quotes Xie Qinyi of DisplaySearch as saying that Apple has multiple advantages over competition in developing a TV product (per the report): “a large number of customers dedicated to its brand, abundant funding, a rich content platform and a profound understanding of display panel technology.”
He also said "TVs are a mature market with low margins. Secure high margin in a mature market will be Apple's biggest challenge."