An Apple TV - minus the box?
The rumour mill is exploding after a report is claiming that Apple is in negotiations to purchase German television manufacturer Loewe, fuelling speculation that this purchase could be used to make the long-awaited and much-hyped Apple TV.
According to AppleInisder, citing anonymous sources, Apple is offering 87.3 million euros for the company, which is apparently a tiny premium on its market cap of 58.79 million euros (based on the last closing share price). The company, started in 1929 and known for being a premium manufacturer of televisions, has workers across 50 countries but produces its sets in Germany.
The report also claims that a final decision will be made by the end of this week.
The last major hardware buys was P.A. Semi and Intrinsity – both semiconductor manufacturers which were used for their Apple A4 and A5 chips. So buying a company to help build hardware for its products isn’t un-Apple like for them.
It’s also a bit interesting since Loewe’s largest stakeholder is Sharp – which is also rumoured to be helping Foxconn to build a television set for Apple. So, could we see a closer partnership between Sharp and Apple to perfect the much-rumoured Apple HDTV?
It’s all speculation, and rumour – so don’t get your hopes up just yet.