Apple Working On 55 and 65-Inch TV Slated For Next Year

At yesterday's iPad Air press event, Apple was rumored to showcase some updates to its set-top box television streaming set, Apple TV. Although the product never made an appearance at the keynote, new rumors are speculating that Apple may be holding off because it has its own television set in the works.

Apple Inc. will probably start selling ultra-high definition televisions with a 65-inch and 55-inch screens sometime during the fourth quarter of next year, according to reports from Tokyo-based analysts at Advanced Research Japan Co.

Bloomberg news cites the research company is deciding on specifications for the designs, which will most likely be frameless. Masahiko Ishino, an analyst at Advanced Research who tracks developments in the consumer-electronics industry discussed the potential TV set in an Oct. 18 interview.

Late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who passed away in 2011, told his biographer that he had "finally cracked" how to build a TV with a simple user interface that would wirelessly synchronize content with Apple's other devices. Following that, Apple's current CEO Tim Cook said back in May that TV is an area of "intense focus" for Apple as it seeks to add innovative products to its already impressive lineup of tech, which includes Macs, iPhones and iPads.

According to Bloomberg, LG Display Co., Samsung Electronics Co. and Corning Inc. may be among the suppliers for Apple's TVs, which may be priced at about $1,500 to $2,500. LG may be supplying more than 70 percent of the liquid-crystal displays, Samsung may make graphic processing units and Corning's Gorilla Glass 2 may be used as the cover, according to Ishino.

Apple has received criticism in the past for not creating anything truly innovative in the wake of Steve Jobs death. Upgrades to existing products have done a lot to keep the company at a competitive level with rivals like Samsung but, unless something new can come from the company soon, it could find itself in great financial trouble.