Many assumptions have been made in regards to Apple releasing their own branded TV, which has been dubbed the iTV, although we cannot see this being its final name considering this is the name of a popular TV channel in the UK. Whatever happens this new device is expected to come with a host of innovative new features, with many analysts suggesting the Apple HDTV could be a game-changer.

Rumors of the Apple iTV or whatever you want to call the device are nothing new, and has been doing the rounds for several years now, but like the low-cost iPhone, 2013 could be the year we see them come to market.

If we are to believe one of the most recent rumors then the new Apple TV device could come in two sizes, a 50-inch and 60-inch and as we mentioned before both could come with 4K technology. However, that is not the best part, but rather the inclusion of a small device called an iRing, which is said to be a sort of motion controller.

The idea of the iRing is to do some of the tasks that you would normally use a remote for, although we find this last part a little hard to believe. The reason we say this is because Apple would not be able to make one generic ring, as they will need to cater for different ring sizes, which would increase production costs.

According to the BGR report there could also be a mini iTV device, which would come with a 9.7-inch display. This could make the full size iTV far more than just a TV and social hub, as it could also be used to make and answer calls, become part of your home security system and so much more.

We find this rumor a little hard to believe and have to wonder if it is a belated April Fools, come on an iRing, what do they take us for?

It seems as though we have been hearing about a possible Apple HDTV for an age now, as the rumors just won’t go away. We cannot say if this will ever happen considering the Apple TV was just a hobby at first but surely its success will help pursued the iPhone and iPad maker into considering a television of their own?

We say this because there is a fresh rumor suggesting an Apple 4K TV may be in the works, and could be released by late 2013 or early 2014. However, we have to remind you this release window is just an assumption, along with the fact the device may not even exist.

Digitimes has learned from a source that Apple’s standalone TV will have a 4K resolution, which would make sense considering they will not want to release just an average TV set. However, before you get too excited, the source of the rumor has not been too reliable in the past, so as always we have to take it at face value.

Going back to the rumor, if true we could see the Apple 4K HDTV with several LG components, as they could be their manufacturing partners. This is a shame really, because personally Samsung make better TVs, although we know Apple is trying their best to distance themselves from Samsung. If this is true one has to wonder if Apple has gone to LG in order to antagonize their South Korean rival?

Previous rumors have suggested the Apple branded TV could support voice control, so would come with Siri integrated. If Apple does release their own TV set then what sort of features would you expect to see from the premium brand, and do you feel it is a smart move to partner with LG rather than Samsung?

When thinking about the future of Apple TV it’s still up in the air because we still have no idea as to the direction that Apple wishes to go in. Okay, so we know that this is no longer a fun project, but where do you really see them going with it?

For years it has been rumored that Apple will launch their own branded TV, which to this day many people believe will be called iTV, but we already know that they will not be able to sell it as that in the UK because of the TV channel, so it will have to go by a different name worldwide, otherwise it will just get confusing.

We have been sent some renders of what features they believe the Apple branded TV will have, but this could also point to the 2013 Apple TV update as well. One of the key features would be the new Siri control.

These images are based on current Apple patents, so we are not certain that they would try to incorporate so much into their set-top Apple TV but would rather wait and use it in their branded TV instead.

First up we have the Apple TV remote, which as you can see from the image above is very different to the basic one, although it would need to be different because it would need to control so much more on a TV set. The remote could be touched based and would make use of Siri as well, which if true could make life a whole lot easier – just hope they improve on Siri in its current form.

Next up is the Apple TV iPhone, which could use an iPhone app. This will allow you to control your Apple TV if you do not wish to use the remote supplied above.

However, the main way in which to control the new Apple branded TV is with Siri. Let’s say that you do not want to search a whole list or use a complicated menu system, then all you do is tell the TV via Siri what you wish to watch and it will do the task for you.

We are sure that these will not be the only rumors in regards to the Apple branded TV, but we cannot be certain that it will be released this year. There’s also the issue of the price of the new Apple TV, as if they release it with the rumored OLED or 4K technology then this will put it out of the reach of most of us.

Personally we feel that they will only offer an Apple TV refresh in 2013, and will have to wait a little while longer until they try and take on the likes of Samsung with their own branded TV set. Images are thanks to MyVoucherCodes.

Having already speculated as to why Best Buy reduced the price of the MacBook Air over the weekend, we now have to ask ourselves if Staples teasing us with an image of them about to sell the Apple TV is an indication of a 4th-generation model looming, or if it was just a faux price to garner interest?

Recently Staples showed on their websites that the Apple TV would sell for just $50, and seeing as though this is half the price as you would pay on the Apple Store consumers started to read more into it. However, we’re told that it as not just this one product, as there were more Apple products in the mockup web pages, which are no longer available to view.

If this is the real deal then we wonder how long it will be before the Apple TV will be reduced on the official store and if this is truly an indication of the Apple TV 4th-generation? The current version was released back in March and so some consumers would assume that a new version being released soon is highly likely, but we have to remember that Apple doesn’t normally update these each year. Although this will raise another question, what could we expect from the next version?

Personally if you had the chance to buy a 3rd-generation Apple TV for $50 then we’d say buy it and if a new version was released shortly after, not that much will change. However, there could be a twist because Apple could launch their very own television this year, but it would need to be something very special because they will be treading on Samsung’s territory.

Not so long after the Apple TV was launched Steve Jobs had said that it was more of a hobby for them rather than a true business, but over the years surely Apple has had to change their outlook and admit that it is far more than just a pastime? Because of the success of this set-top box those Apple HD TV rumors still persist and the probability that the company will release a standalone television is looking far more likely now, well according to analysts in the know.

The reason these rumors have come to light once again is because in Q4 sales of Apple TV was 1.3 million, now in Q1 those sales figures have increased to 2 million units, which shows that consumers have warmed to what Apple still says is a hobby to them – not bad for fun ah?

Apple has had a few issues over the past few months with their stock price seeing a huge decline, but Apple analyst Gene Munster spoke to Bloomberg and believes that the release of a fully-fledged standalone Apple HD TV would help to satisfy share holders once again. However, it’s not as simple as releasing a new device because Apple would more than likely come under fire from television makers such as Samsung, who would no doubt look very closely to see if they are infringing patent designs.

In the Bloomberg discussion it’s suggested that suppliers in Asia have already said that they are working on an actual Apple television, but as always we need to take such rumors with a grain of salt. We asked sometime back if you thought that Apple could revolutionize the TV industry if they had their own television, and while we believe they could there is one key factor that could go against Apple, their over-inflated pricing.

Apple certainly has a track record for shaking up certain markets in the technology world, and we’ve seen this with the original iPad, iPhone, and iPod that all entered markets and became favored by consumers very quickly. There has been a lot of changes within the technology industry over the last couple of years and also Apple lost Steve Jobs at it’s helm, so does Apple still have what it takes to launch a new television set that starts a revolution?

One of the best articles we’ve read in a long time looking at the possibility of a new Apple television set can be seen here, which takes a look at how to build the next generation of TV. The author continues to examine what it would mean to content providers if Apple started a limited partnership with them, which could mean the lineup of channels with Apple’s new TV would not be at its best when launched.

They also look at the fact that this could mean a massive shake up in the United States when it comes to the television business as a whole, and this is seen by the amount of time it has been taking with establishing a partnership with cable operators. This is why you’ve heard about Apple HDTV rumors for many months and nothing has really happened, which would be due to the politics involved in integrating cable programming into Apple’s expected new TV UI.

Competitors are more than ready for Apple this time – while some people expect a new television set to come next year from Apple, the likes of Samsung and Google are better prepared for this eventuality than when Apple rocked the MP3 player and tablet markets. Samsung, Microsoft, Google, and few others are already very busy innovating within the television industry.

Do you think Apple has enough magic to revolutionize the TV industry as we know it? They did it before and while we’ve been extremely impressed over the years with what Apple has achieved, their turnover speaks volumes here, personally we feel they won’t find quick success in this particular industry. Another source looked at this exact possibility around 6 months ago, and can be seen in this article, which one analyst explains any change to the television industry would be “slow” at best. We also heard about Apple’s CEO sitting down with the major players within the company back in May, so this certainly points out how long plans have been in the works.

Although this is the first we’ve heard of such plans, an exclusive article published by The Verge is treating this as a done deal. An Xbox set top box is going to take on Apple’s so far unrivaled Apple TV set top box and we’re hearing that Microsoft’s product will provide users with a mini Xbox experience combined with the ability to access key entertainment services.

In other words, Microsoft are going to provide everything that Apple does with their Apple TV, but with the added advantage of Xbox gaming. It isn’t going to be true Xbox gaming though as seen on the Xbox 360, but rather casual gaming with perhaps a selection of Xbox Live games which are living room friendly.

Microsoft’s device is going to run on Windows 8 primarily and one of the key features of the system is going to be an ‘always on’ switch, which will allow users to quickly jump into a specific media service or casual game at any time – possibly to eradicate those slow Windows loading times for good we hope?

The Xbox set top box apparently has a release date scheduled for the 2013 Holiday Season, which could hint of Microsoft’s plans to rock the industry with two major new Xbox branded products at the exact same time. If the set top box does arrive on the market next year though, what does it mean for Apple TV and existing users?

It would certainly make Apple take note of course and may make the company up the stakes considerably when they realize that they have some real competition at last. This could be an exciting benefit for existing Apple TV owners, as Apple may unload with some brand new functionality to keep customers from defecting over to Microsoft’s set top box.

We’re thinking about new media services that Apple TV currently doesn’t have, but are present on the Xbox 360 – Amazon Instant Video is one service that many Apple TV owners wouldn’t mind getting, while HBO Go is another popular streaming service that has yet to make an appearance on Apple TV.

What are your initial thoughts on Microsoft taking a step into the set top box world? Do you think they have what it takes to become a serious competitor to the Apple TV? If you are a current Apple TV owner, let us know what features you would like to see improved on to fend off competition from the rumored Xbox set top box.

Not long after the start of this month we saw a new Apple TV update that took the software to version 5.0.2, and while there had been little known about this update at first, Apple quickly updated their software updates page to reflect the minor change.

Apple TV update 5.0.2 addressed an issue only affecting the iTunes Store in Australia, which caused some problems with content restrictions, and this had been the only reason for the last update. Users experiencing various issues, which have not been fixed yet, had not welcomed this news and hope v5.0.3 will fix issues with Netflix, podcasts, and more.

What problems would you like to see fixed with Apple TV update v5.0.3? Do you have some bugs that you feel are much more than local network issues? We’ve heard about a few bugs that seem to affect a number of Apple TV users, and these include AirPlay only sending audio, notifications on podcasts always reading new even after watching them, and a lot of people experience streaming issues although this is most likely related to their network setup.

What new features should future Apple TV updates bring? Some updates also add new features rather than just fix bugs, and the biggest feature we want to see added with a software update is support for native apps. This is something that has been confirmed as possible in the past, but Apple continue to avoid adding any native apps support, which might be saved for a Apple HDTV in the near future.

The iMac and MacBook Pro improved specs – we touched on what the 2012 MacBook Pro needs and some of the latest rumors recently, although the iMac has been pushed aside on most tech blogs. Some much needed upgrades can be delivered with a 2012 iMac, and these include standardizing SSD, new Ivy Bridge chips from Intel, a Retina display, and we’d also expect the optical drive to be removed by 2013 at the latest, although this is not what everyone would want.

Do you have some features you need in the 2012 iMac, which would make you want to upgrade? We’d like to see a decent memory upgrade, the refresh would also need to redesign the display to offer more pixels per inch, especially considering the improvements seen on the latest cell phones and televisions. We’ve also heard a few touch screen and Siri integration rumors, and while this sounds good as an option, it’s not in our list of predictions. Share a comment with your expectation for the iMac update and also when you think its release date should fall?

The new Apple television set – the hype building around a big screen Apple TV is increasing for good reason, and while it has not been confirmed by Apple it’s largely believed to be almost certain, which could even release at some point in 2012 or 2013. There has been some debate around its branding, iTV is obviously a codename considering the iTV brand is a television channel in the UK, and some analysts are pushing for “Mac TV” as a better option, which would help rejuvenate the Mac brand. This is important considering the iPhone has seen 88% year-on-year growth, the iPad has seen 151% year-on-year growth, and the Macs are just 7%. You can read more insight on these figures and the reasons to expect a Mac TV here.

Will you be one of the first in-line for these new Apple products, and if so would it be a Mac TV, 2012 iMac/MacBook Pro, or all of them? WWDC 2012 is almost here and you can keep an eye on all the latest Apple news via this page, or one of our social channels.

Apple hasn’t even confirmed it will launch TV set – this update would be much more than the current little black box commonly known as the 3rd generation Apple TV, and the continued rumors are giving more weight to a new TV display that has been codenamed iTV.

The signs of an Apple TV update with a big screen – earlier this week we saw Apple’s Jonathan Ive explain to the Telegraph that he’s working on the most important products of his career, and while there was no mention of what these might be it does show something big is on the way. To be impressed with any new products and services Apple are bringing and to tag them as the “most important” would take a revolutionary launch, and that something would need to be bigger than the iPhone/iPod touch/iPad, which have all changed markets forever.

More weight for a new Apple product that’s amazing – when we hear that Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, had sat down with the companies biggest employees earlier this year and they were shown some things coming in the following months, which Steve Jobs might even of had a hand in. This again leaves us with excitement as to what these new services/products might be, and an expectation of something massive. It’s worth pointing out that Apple will not confirm anything until a time of their choosing, so with WWDC 2012 in a few weeks it is certainly a time for listening to every word for hints of the future.

What would it take for an Apple television set concept to be revolutionary? This article makes the prediction that a new Apple TV (with display) will be coming this year just before Christmas, obviously pure rumor and guess work by an analyst. Having owned every little Apple TV box so far we have a few ideas for improvements, but the most important would be iOS apps on the big screen and while you can use other devices to stream to your television via an Apple TV, this is not native apps and can work out costly with you having to own more than one device. There is also the problem of streaming and not all Wi-Fi networks keep the apps lag free.

Having iOS apps on Apple TV is something that has strangely been left out of each software update, so are they saving this to give more impact with a new product launch like an Apple television set? Apple kept Siri for the iPhone 4S only, although the hardware on iPad 3 can easily handle it but lacks full Siri functionality.

You might also want to read about the hidden implications of Apple TV 3 that launched earlier this year, the little black box, which can be seen in this article.