Apple TV hitting the Indian shores, may be priced at Rs 6,990

Apple is all set to launch its Apple TV offering in India. The device will be priced at Rs 6,990 and could be available in the country as soon as the end of this month, according to BGR. And for those of you who are thinking that Apple is diving into the TV business, we would like to clarify that the device is basically a digital media receiver developed and sold by the Cupertino company.

With Apple TV, users can play content from iTunes and YouTube in up to 1080p high definition. Note that while content from Netflix and Hulu Plus is also offered in countries like the US, we don't think it will be available in India. For using the device, you can simple plug it in to your existing TV sets and discover movies, TV shows, photos and music, among others.

It is powered by Apple's single-core A5 chip and has Wi-Fi (so it will basically turn your normal TV into a Smart TV). The dimensions of the device are 23mm x 98mm x 98mm and its weight is 272 grams. You can also use your existing iTunes Store account (if you have one in the first place) for buying or renting movies and music. And since everything streams wirelessly to Apple TV using your Wi-Fi network, having an internet connection with Wi-Fi is a must.

Also, with the AirPlay feature, users can wirelessly stream content from their iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch on their TV. So if you want to watch a movie stored on one of your devices, you don't need to buy or rent it again to watch it on the TV. And with AirPlay Mirroring users can display the screen of their iPad or iPhone 4S on their TVs.

Users can also store their content on iCloud so that it can be played anywhere. If you are an iTunes Match subscriber, you can access your entire music collection from iCloud- including songs you've not bought from iTunes from your Apple TV. The iTunes Match service is available in India for Rs 1,200 a year.

While we are yet to receive an official confirmation from Apple on the launch, it makes sense for the company to do it in the first place since it recently brought its iTunes Store for Indian users (Read here for more on that).