Apple TV Upgrade Could Debut At September 10 iPhone Event (AAPL)

Apple AAPL is holding two major events next week -- one in the United States on September 10 and another in Beijing on September 11. The first event is expected to focus on Apple's long-awaited upgrade to the iPhone 5 (presumably the iPhone 5S). Apple may also use the event to promote its low-cost smartphone, which is expected to be called the iPhone 5C. Apple is rumored to use its September 11 Chinese event to announce a deal with China Mobile CHL, the world's largest mobile carrier. Those items may not be the only devices that Apple plans to unveil. According to Panjiva, an intelligence platform for global trade professionals, Apple may also unveil a "set top box with communication function." Panjiva discovered multiple listings for this mysterious product when it used its own shipment search operations. The company provided three possible definitions for what that item may be:

• A) "Apple's long rumored TV-focused product."
• B) "A new version of the old-school Apple TV."
• C) "Something that/s not particularly interesting, but that has an interesting description to throw us all off."

Related: Apple TV Gets New Channels Ahead Of Hardware Upgrade It is unusual for a company to purposely mislead consumers before a product launch. But it seems odd that Apple would tease the existence of another Apple TV (or better yet, an official Apple-made television set) without an actual product in the pipeline. Granted, this is not an official "tease." If the shipment listings are to be believed, however, Apple is likely getting ready to sell a new TV-related product. This could be the same item that Google GOOG discovered earlier this year. The search engine giant is thought to have uncovered information that Apple is bringing apps to Apple TV in the near future. Google is rumored to have responded to that info by developing a new game console of its own. Rumors surrounding apps and Apple TV are nothing new. But without a proper controller, the company could have a difficult time implementing this feature. While the iPhone and iPad could be used to interact with the apps, Apple may also want to serve customers who do not yet own those devices. It is not yet known if Google's rumored game-playing device will ship with a controller or use existing Android devices in place of a traditional gamepad. Disclosure: At the time of this writing, Louis Bedigian had no position in the equities mentioned in this report. Louis Bedigian is the Senior Tech Analyst and Features Writer of Benzinga. You can reach him at 248-636-1322 or louis(at)benzingapro(dot)com. Follow him @LouisBedigianBZ