Foxconn, TSMC, others seen as possible Apple TV suppliers
updated 10:45 am EST, Wed December 28, 2011
Set may be finalized by end of Q2 2012
Three more companies could be potential suppliers for the Apple TV set, say DigiTimes sources. These include Advanced Semiconductor Engineering, Siliconware Precision Industries, and the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. Sharp and Samsung were recently reported as producing LCDs and chips, respectively.
Apple's main manufacturing partner, Foxconn, will likely take on assembly duties, the DigiTimes sources suggest. They also say that Apple is expected to finalize the TV hardware by the end of the second quarter next year, placing parts orders with suppliers directly, as it does for iPads and iPhones. The sources lastly claim that an Apple TV set will ship by the end of 2012.
Reports have varied wildly on the matter of Apple's timeline. DigiTimes itself has previously cited sources claiming a TV could ship as soon as next spring or summer. Another view has a set shipping only in 2013, despite claims by former Apple CEO Steve Jobs that he had "cracked" a TV interface.
