Apple iTV production to begin in May?

Apple iTV production to begin in May?
Well, that's a Samsung TV but you get the idea

We know one person who's going to feel pretty silly if Apple never ends up launching an Apple television set: Peter Misek, the analyst whose latest claims put production of the so-called iTV as beginning in May or June.

The Jefferies analyst pushed a note out to investors that claims "speciality components" are now being shipped for the television set, including polarised films, filters and IGZO components.

And how does Misek know all this? He says he was shown "early production evidence of iTV" on a recent trip to Asia.

But this still doesn't really mean anything – we don't know exactly what Misek was shown, nor that these components mean Apple will go ahead with a television launch.

Still not fact

The proposed production start date puts the Apple iTV release date at late 2012 – specifically the fourth quarter of the year, in time for the Christmas rush – with between 2 and 5 million units expected to be built for then.

It would seem odd for Apple to side-step 2012 though – with the Olympics and Euro 2012 it's set to be a big year for television manufacturers as people upgrade to 3D and Smart TVs to take advantage of all that sport.

But then again, when has Apple ever played by anyone else's rules?

From Apple Insider

News Editor (UK)

Former UK News Editor for TechRadar, it was a perpetual challenge among the TechRadar staff to send Kate (Twitter, Google+) a link to something interesting on the internet that she hasn't already seen. As TechRadar's News Editor (UK), she was constantly on the hunt for top news and intriguing stories to feed your gadget lust. Kate now enjoys life as a renowned music critic – her words can be found in the i Paper, Guardian, GQ, Metro, Evening Standard and Time Out, and she's also the author of 'Amy Winehouse', a biography of the soul star.