Ever since Walter Isaacson’s biography of Steve Jobs hit stores, there has been endless speculation about Jobs finally ‘cracking’ the perfect user interface for a consumer TV. No one has ever quite confirmed the existence of an Apple iTV so far, and apart from the occasional rumor every now and then, there has been little known about Apple’s plans in the TV sector.

Apple TV

However, there has been the first definite statement in favor of the iTV’s existence recently – by Foxconn’s Chairman, Terry Gou. In an interview with China Daily, Gou claims that FOxconn is preparing for the release of an Apple television system called the iTV. But Gou also adds that there hasn’t been any progress on either development or manufacturing the iTV. But China Daily asserts that the iTV will be made of aluminium, have Apple’s Siri voice assistant preloaded, and FaceTime video chats are said to be integrated as well.

TechCrunch is calling the proposed the iTV an iMac for the living room. It is also said to have an I/O port design, just like the Apple desktop, making it extremely convenient as all ports will be in a single location. Even the overall aesthetics of the design are expected to be similar – with an almost edge-less display and an aluminium build.

Both Steve Jobs and Tim Cook have called the Apple TV, a glorified set top box from the Cupertino company, a sheer hobby. However, with these latest reports about the plans for iTV, Apple may be taking its involvement in the TV industry to a whole new level. But then again, this won’t be happening anytime soon, as Foxconn’s Gou pointed out in the interview. With neither development nor manufacture underway, little movement can be expected in the current year.

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