Is the Apple TV Coming in Q1 2012?

Despite a shortened trading week, the rumor mill has been pretty active. Speculation has floated around the market that an announcement of Apple’s (NASDAQ: AAPL) forthcoming TV is imminent. Further—and perhaps more significant—that the product would be available to consumers at some point in the first quarter of the coming year.

While an Apple TV has yet to be confirmed by the company, the rumor has persisted for years, and is now taken as a fact by most market commentators.

Supposedly, iconic CEO Steve Jobs left the company with a pipeline of products spanning the next four years. And Apple’s TV could be the first in the lineup.

Still, traders may approach these rumors with a grain of salt.

Recently, the rumor mill for Apple has been relatively overwhelming. If you believed all the chatter around the company, Apple is set to not only release its new TV in the first quarter of 2012, but its iPod 3 and iPhone 5 as well.

The amount of speculation over Apple’s offerings appears to go beyond the speculation over other stocks. A search on Twitter reveals the existence of a variety of handles made up of some form of the phrase “apple_trader.”

Yet, at the same time, it is hard to argue a case against the company. Apple sits on a war chest of some $80 billion and its customers have fierce loyalty to its brand.

Its recent offerings—the iPod, iPhone and iPad—all have revolutionized their markets and have lead to a slew of copy cat products.

If Apple’s TV proves to be as revolutionary as its other devices, the company could continue to see strength far into the future.

Yet, can Apple continue to deliver?

Rumors about the TV have varied. Some say that Apple’s TV will simply amount to a very large iPad—a TV with the ability to run apps and perhaps include a touch screen.

Others have claimed it will offer a premium entertainment experience, including a built-in sound system rivaling the offerings of companies like Bose.

At the far end of the spectrum are those who claim that Apple’s TV could come equipped with an Apple cable service—an ability for consumers to pick and chose which channels they would want, instead of buying a large cable package with many offerings they will never use.

Such a service could prove massively successful and have the ability to revolutionize the TV market.

Of course, it would draw the ire of powerful corporations like Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA), who would find themselves under fire from Apple’s innovation.

At any rate, Apple has been a darling of traders and investors alike. While the first quarter of 2012 may not bring an Apple TV, the rumor demonstrates that Apple continues to be the talk of the Street.

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