In what appears to be further evidence that Apple is considering the launch of a TV, the company has reportedly contacted at least one component maker about the capabilities of its displays, CNET reports.
"We recently spoke to a major TV component supplier who has been contacted by Apple regarding various capabilities of their television display components," Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster wrote in a note to investors. "We see this as continued evidence that Apple is exploring production of a television."
Munster said previous evidence included meetings in Asia earlier this month that led the analyst to believe the company was getting ready to invest in the manufacture of LCD screens ranging in size from 3.5-inch mobile displays to 55-inch TVs. A contact "close to an Asian supplier" told Munster last September that prototypes of an Apple TV were already in the works.
Munster said he believes the company would "likely" launch a TV by the end of the year but that timing was "uncertain." "The hardware could be ready quickly, but the timing and scope of a revamped TV content solution is unclear," he wrote.
Noting that Apple only enters markets with the goal of reinventing them (such as smartphones and MP3 players), Munster said he sees an opportunity for Apple to revolutionize the way consumers enjoy programming on their TVs and mobile devices.
