The rumor that never dies came back for another round, and that round may already be over again.
One rumor is that Apple is going to announce a new Apple TV this year led some to believe the world might get its first glimpse at the company's plans during an event this March. Now, maybe not.
According to Jeffries analyst Peter Misek, the Cupertino-based company will release a TV set in September or October of this year, but will only unveil a new software development kit (SDK) for app creators in March.
"Channel checks indicate Apple has a product event in March that is Apple-TV related (possibly an iTV SDK introduction)," wrote Misek in a report obtained by Apple Insider. "We think a Sep/Oct iTV launch is being targeted."
Jim Dalrymple from The Loop, who AppleInsider insists is always reliable, had a simple response.
"Nope," read the entirety of his post Wednesday afternoon.
Of course, the TV has been rumored for years now, but if a launch later this year really is being planned, then getting developers onboard as fast as possible would be extremely beneficial. After all, the current Apple TV runs on iOS, so developer familiarity with the operating system could make for a surprisingly robust selection of apps by the time the sets go on sale.
Misek also wrote that the television sets themselves will cost about $1,500 for models ranging from 42 inches to 55 inches
Adding further fuel to the Apple TV fire is the fact that the German luxury brand TV Loewe saw its stock soar after a trader said, "Apple supposedly wants to bid 4 euros a share for Loewe." During Wednesday's trading, the stock jumped 45 percent. While things settled down a bit afterwards, Loewe finished the day up 23 percent.
The stock jumped on rumor alone, so it's hard to say if there's anything viable behind the information. If Apple is considering buying the company, it would have to pry it away from multiple players who hold sway over the organization, including Sharp and its 29 percent stake.
Apple TV rumors have been floating around looking for a suitable place to land for years now. For its part, the electronics giant continues to give cryptic hints regarding an announcement, like this gem from Tim Cook at the company's last conference call,
"I have said in the past it's an area of intense interest for us, and it remains so. There's a lot we can contribute in this space, and we'll continue to pull the string and see where it leads."
