Kenwood released the following press release today. I had hoped it would contain more information. We did recently learn about some TS-990 facts, and now, through this Kenwood PR,  we learn that the TS-990 will not see production until late 2012 and that the model on display at the Dayton Hamvention will be a “reference exhibit.”

(Source: Kenwood)

April 18, 2012
New Amateur Radio Product to be Exhibited Prior to Worldwide Launch

JVC KENWOOD Corporation is proud to announce that the prototype of a state-of-the-art Amateur transceiver scheduled for worldwide launch under the Kenwood brand in the winter of 2012 will be unveiled as a reference exhibit at Dayton Hamvention 2012 to be held in Dayton, Ohio, USA (May 18-20). It will also appear at events in Germany and Japan.

Reference exhibit model: TS-990 HF/50 MHz Transceiver
Featuring a dual TFT display and dual receiver, the TS-990 is a top-of-the-range flagship model in the Kenwood Amateur radio line-up.

Prior to the launch of the TS-990, a prototype will be displayed as a reference exhibit at Dayton Hamvention 2012 in Dayton, Ohio, USA (May 18-20), at HAM RADIO 2012 in Friedrichshafen, Germany (June 22-24), and at Ham Fair 2012 in Tokyo, Japan (August 25-26).
Please note that as this product is under development, published information is subject to change without notice.