The long rumored and the long awaited Apple (News - Alert) iTV is apparently hitting the production line. While Apple still hasn’t announced any sort of details as to what the iTV will do and when we will be able to get it, reports say that Foxconn has begun official production. Apple’s Chinese manufacturing partner is apparently in the very early stages of putting together the newest kind of high end televisions. 

According to the China Business Times, sources at Foxconn say they have begun a “trial production stage.” This is actually a bit of a reversal from the official line from Foxconn, which started the month off saying that not only had they not begun production on the new televisions, but they hadn’t received an order to do so. Of course, part of the reason for the conflicting stories is that both Apple and Foxconn are well practiced at playing it close to the vest. Apple has still never admitted that these televisions are actually on the way despite persistent reports of such a device.  

Most of the reports have come from some unlikely sources, including at least one report that surfaced thanks in large part to a customer survey that was issued by Best Buy retailers. These particular surveys seems to hint at quite a bit of different features that will indeed make the iTV one of the most sought after models of the new year. Other reports have hinted that Apple would like to announce these new televisions by the end of the year and begin shipping them out at the beginning of 2013. Industry analysts hinted that if Foxconn has indeed started the trial production phase then they would most likely be able to hit those deadlines. Still the fact that both companies are playing it close to the vest means that there are still very few concrete details, and if Apple really isn’t expected to announce until the winter, we’re going to be waiting a while.