Apple TV Prototype Details: May be Available in Late 2012

After the 10th birthday of the iPod come whispers that Apple might be expecting.

Apple Inc. could unveil Apple TV as soon as late 2012 or early 2013, reports The Washington Post.

Jeff Robbin, who helped develop the iPod and iTunes, is said to be on board for the development of Apple's newest venture, according to Bloomberg.

Steve Jobs supposedly told biographer Walter Isaacson that he had finally cracked the code on how to build a TV with a simple user interface and seamless integration that could wirelessly sync with all other Apple products.

It will have the simplest user interface you could imagine, Jobs told Isaacson.

Although no Apple representatives have commented, there is supposedly already a prototype model in the works.

The Washington Post cites affirmation from Gene Munster, an Apple-connected analyst with Piper Jaffray Cos. Munster supposedly said that this prototype could be for sale by late 2012 or early 2013.

The scheduled timing for an Apple TV release is supposedly based on meetings Munster knows of with Apple's suppliers in Asia, as well as industry contacts and Apple's patent portfolio.

Munster also stated that Apple is currently investing in manufacturing plants as well as LCD screen inventory. He said that Apple could possibly sell 1.4 million TVs next year, adding $6 billion to its revenue by 2014.

Finally, Munster hinted that Apple TV could utilize the new features introduced in the iPhone 4S, Siri and iCloud.

One of the main highlights of Apple TV, according toThe Washington Post, will be its smooth, easy search system.

All features would be integrated, eliminating the need to go to a separate entity for a movie, such as Netflix or Pay-Per-View.

CNN reports that analyst Brian White of Ticonderoga Securities issued a report with the title A Full-Blown Apple TV is on the Way.

He says that Isaacson's biography proves what he saw on his many trips to Asia -- Apple Smart TV is already in the early prototype stages moving through Chinese factories.

Robbin was one of Jobs' most valued employees.

He was hired in 2000 to develop iTunes after Apple bought the SoundJam digital music player Robbin had developed.

Click here to watch the Bloomberg interview with Brian Marshall, an analyst at ISI Group, and Paul Kedrosky, author of the Infectious Greed blog and a Bloomberg contributing editor.