Claims and counterclaims about Apple iTV launch in March and iWatch

There is mounting speculation Apple is on the cusp of entering into a new market, with speculation growing about a possible smart TV or smartwatch release from the consumer electronics giant.

The speculation began when Apple Insider reported analyst Peter Misek from Jefferies Equity Research had sent a note to clients advising them about speculation about an Apple TV launch event in March.

“Channel checks indicate Apple has a product event in March that is Apple-TV related (possibly an iTV SDK introduction)… We think a Sep/Oct iTV launch is being targeted,” Misek wrote.

“We expect a price point of $1,500+ for a 42-inch to 55-inch model and also expect a below corporate average [gross margin]. Apple is likely to largely rely on leveraging content via partnerships with existing pay-TV operators.”

The speculation was quickly contradicted, however, by former MacWorld journalist Jim Dalrymple, who responded to Misek’s claim with a one word answer on his blog based on his own (usually accurate) Apple sources: “Nope”.

Meanwhile, less than a week after SmartCompany reported speculation that Apple was working on a flexible glass-based smartwatch made from Willow Glass, another report has surfaced about the device.

Bloomberg is reporting the tech giant now has a team of 100 staff working on a smartwatch that may perform some of the tasks currently carried out by the iPhone and iPad.

The team is reportedly led by Apple’s senior director of engineering, James Foster, alongside a second senior manager, Achim Pantfoerder, and includes managers, members of the marketing group, software developers and hardware engineers who previously worked on the iPhone and iPad.

The size of the team suggests Apple is beyond the experimentation phase of the development process.