Analyst: Apple-branded TV to begin production in May

Jefferies analyst Peter Misek believes that Apple will have all the necessary components and partners in place to begin producing its own TV set in May of June.

He based that off of the fact Apple’s panel suppliers have begun receiving special components that could only be used for the manufacturing of a TV set.

In his research note, as reference by Apple Insider Misek noted that the orders were currently low in quantity, but this demonstrates that Apple is moving full stream ahead to meet the previous speculation of a holiday 2012 launch.

The upcoming TV, which is rumored to offer unparalleled wireless connectivity, seamless integration with other Apple devices, and potentially a Siri-esque voice command in place of a traditional remote control, has been the subject of many rumors over the last few months.

The idea of creating the smartest of smart TVs was apparently a pet project of the late CEO Steve Jobs up until his final days. That vision is expected to become reality by the end of the year.

It was previously reported that Sharp would produce the actual panels for the TV. The continued rumors of new supply manufacturers suggests progress in the production of the iTV is coming along nicely.

The Apple TV was Apple’s previous attempt at entering the living room, but it has largely been a flop due to the mere fact that people don’t like the idea of dedicated set-top boxes anymore. Not in a world where increasing amounts of software is built into the TV itself, or some other staple component like game consoles or Blu-ray players.