Analyst: Apple May Release Its Own HDTV by the End of 2011

File this under “we’ll believe it when we see it,” but it’s a very intriguing suggestion: Brian White, an analyst with Ticonderoga Securities, sent a note to investors this week from a Chinese electronics trade show in which he reported that Apple appeared to be gearing up for the release of a proprietary HDTV, possibly by the end of this year.

Our research suggests this Smart TV would go well beyond the miniature $99 second-generation Apple TV that the company released last fall and provide a full-blown TV product for consumers.

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The combination of Apple’s powerful ecosystem, industrial design savvy, powerful brand and ability to reinvent product categories could make Apple a powerful force in the TV world over the next few years.

If Apple does make an HDTV this year, here’s betting it costs 3-4 times as much as comparable HDTVs and sells out on day one.

(via AppleInsider)