Apple tablet(s) in 2H 2010 with OLED screen and tailored content in tow?
By Vlad Savov 
posted November 19th 2009 9:27AM
posted November 19th 2009 9:27AM
Rumors of the mythical Apple tablet's release were just starting to coalesce around an early 2010 release, so naturally DigiTimes is now reporting that the much ballyhooed device won't show up until the second half of next year. Apple is said to have given itself more time to swap out internals and install a 9.7-inch OLED display from LG, which meshes with earlier rumors about where the relationship between the two companies was heading. Sources expect the opening retail price to be around a hefty $2,000, but for the budget-conscious there will also be a 10.6-inch LCD version that will land somewhere between $800 and $1,000. Or so we're told. Somewhat more concrete is the news that Conde Nast, publisher of Wired Magazine, has openly confirmed that it is developing a digital version of its tech magazine for consumption on the Apple tablet, with the rest of its content catalog to soon follow. Its own estimate of having the paid-for digitized magazines, which will include Vogue and GQ, ready for the middle of 2010 also jibes with the reported delays. Then again, Apple has refused to discuss the unannounced device with anyone, leaving Conde and Adobe developing the necessary software in the dark.
Good luck selling a 800-1000/2000 dollar tablet in this economy...
@Flowah
good luck believing every rumor you hear
@[Highest Ranked]
Good luck in realizing that rumors of an Apple tablet have been around a long time from reliable sources and that Apple has a reputation for overcharging for all of their products so that it is entirely reasonable for this rumornews to be the case.
@Flowah
Don't worry. If, and if this tablet does indeed exists, then I'm certain you'll be in line to buy one. And you'll love it too. :)
These rumors are untrue, trust me.
@thatguy
How so?
If it is $2,000 it will become another MacBook Air. Something people say "wow" about, but simply don't purchase. Sure, some people own Airs but when it came out, the price was ridiculous.
Who are they marketing this product to?
- It's too expensive for "everyone."
- It would need to be as powerful as a MacBook Pro to warrant the bump in price
- The iPhone already has a good amount of content
- The Nook, Kindle, bla bla bla has already taken on the low end book market.
Apple needs a $529 netbook. Seriously, take my $329 HP mini and place your "Apple Approved" stamp on it and I would buy one today. The tablet, IMHO, is like the word "web portal." A term that is synonymous with failure.
@mitchell_pgh I agree totally, Apple would be fools to sell something for $2000 that does less than their $999 devices, no matter what the form factor (especially a glorified iTouch).
That alone makes me think this rumor is more bogus info. And what's with the 9" version costing more than the 10" version.
I'd call BS to the whole rumor but the original info was just rumor itself. When people say that it will have a direct link to the Hubble telescope it's hard to disagree, imaginary devices can do whatever your heart desires.
*queue Reading Rainbow music*
I have a bad feeling about this tablet. I just don't know which type of major consumer will want this? Obviously it will cater to a niche market but this doesn't bold too well for AAPL if it really does.
@whispered
Want what? no one has seen this tablet, no one knows what it can or can't do. No one knows anything.
Keep in mind that the $2,000 price tag could be subsidized by the carrier. I couldn't imagine a tablet being made without a 3G/4G antenna on-board. This could be a great fit for Verizon and their 4G rollout.
Sounds about right. If Apple announces in January and ships in 2nd half of the year it gets two benefits: 1) makes customers delay purchases of other devices in anticipation of the Apple device, 2) allows the Apple fans to save their pennies so that when it does launch they'll have enough in their bank accounts.
wow, the rumored price sure has shot up. it went from maybe around 600 to 800 dollars to now 2k or 800 with contract. No thanks, Apple. I may love my iphone and macbook but im not going to pay that much for your latest and greatest. I just bought the new archos 5 android and i know its going to be great once the bugs get fixed. I hope i dont offend people, by my rant. believe me, if this tablet is real and it costs at a reasonable price, i'll be on it like MJ on a cub scout. but the price may be the main detterant. btw, i love unicorns and rainbows.
hmm, think I have to agree, the more I read these rumours the more it smells like the gas escaped from a cows ass. $2000 for a friggin overgrown iPhone??? No way, and if you believe the hype it won't even run Mac OS, for $2000, you can buy the new core i5 27" iMac for $1999.
This rumour is serious BS, if not then good luck Apple, we all remember the Newton and the Apple TV.
Even if it sells for $899 that's still only $100 less then the new Macbook which is obviously gonna be way better value and still portable.
Still the 32GB iPhone is $896 in the UK contract free. So maybe that price isn't so far of the mark.
@Mark Richards
These rumors are a pantload. No one will ever really know anything till Apple says there is anything.
Welcome Apple to the tablet failure club, please join the line.
The tablet is a failure because it is just a strange device to many people, they can't simply comprehend how someone can work on a machine without a keyboard.
Hello! my TC1100 is my mobile office, I do everything with it. When I want to write that mega word document I dock it and fire off on the keyboard, after I am done I undock it and it becomes my mobile information device. It is fully convertible and fully mobile. Apply is not inventing anything new, and you can't beat the TC1100 design.
So if the world didn't love the TC1100, they won't love your tablet too, not for 2K.
@Infinity A nonexistent device is a failure? How does that work, exactly? You understand that Apple has never announced a tablet right? Please tell me you understand that.
@Infinity
Hm, looks like this Infinity 'tard thinks he's been inside the Apple research labs, handled the Apple tablet and conducted a full analysis. Then he's concluded that something called a "TC1100" (which no one has ever heard of) is somehow superior to this imaginary Apple tablet.
How about if you put down that glue you're sniffing and go pedal your bicycle for a while?
$2000 for an iPhone OS device. Hilarious.
@starkruzr You might as well just say $2000 for a flying unicorn is hilarious. Apple has never announced a tablet. This is a RUMOR.
@Jack While I agree with your meaning, let's not speak false now. $2000 is a great deal for a flying unicorn.
I'd pay $4000 for a flying unicorn.
@starkruzr
you know what's more hilarious? people that react to these rumors as if Apple had made an official announcement.
@Jack Are you serious? Are you really saying that because Apple hasn't announced a tablet, this ENTIRE DISCUSSION is moot? Despite the fact that we ALL KNOW the damn thing is coming?
@[Highest Ranked] What's even more hilarious are people who fail to read in context. I was talking about the rumor that we were going to be seeing an iPhone OS device for $2000, and calling that ridiculous.
Am I not permitted to comment on anything on Engadget that is obvious, wild speculation? Please, outline your rules for interacting with the Internet for me so I can have them at the ready the next time.
Moron.
1k? Too pricey..... I will stick with my iphone....
Magazines getting on board with something like this is great, but I'm actually more interested in seeing whether the comics industry embraces digital publishing for the probably-not-just-mythical tablet.
Awesome new look engadget. I like how you can actually reply to replies now.
I have a feeling this is going to be big when it comes out just like the iphone did with applications and the ipod did with digital musical downloads of individual songs.
Having deals with companies for digital publishing like magazines, books, newspapers, comics, and apple being very strong in marketing and presentation will get ppl to adopt the new device. Even if it was viable in some form or another before this device, the mere fact that its bringing all the contents together into one device is different. I think that's the reason why it will be huge, because its apple,stylish, and convenient.
As a result this device will create a big market ( which isn't new, but didn't have the same appeal) and will get the whole digital publication industry to move towards this.
Even though i don't own any apple products for personal reasons, I got to give props to apple for not just being a competitor in new markets but completely changing the industry in that sector that it enters.
@Silverfox007
I wouldn't be so sure. I want one, and might pay $800 for it, but I wouldn't touch anything near $1,000 or over. And this space is littered with failed products. I'm not at all certain it will explode out of the gate to become a huge product. From anybody other than Apple and maybe Microsoft, I simply wouldn't buy something like this because there wouldn't be the infrastructure built to support it. And Apple doesn't always succeed with its products either (witness Apple TV). We'll have to wait and see.
@Fanfoot
ya that's the thing, for 1 or 2 grand it being just a e-reader will be a hard sell even if it is apple. therefore i think its more logical that they will merge a pc and a e-reader together. I think that it would sell better than just a stand alone e-reader of the same form factor even if its cheaper, it will let you surf the net via a browser, if you have a iphone it will integrate with that in some way, camera, touch screen with digital keyboard of some form, etc. I think if that's the case, it will sell well otherwise a grand is to much for just a e-reader.
Blah blah blah.
At this rate, I'll be getting an Entourage eDGe ($500, 10" dual-pane tablet) before a useful Apple Tablet comes out.
Heck, at this rate, I'll be able to upgrade to the MOTO AMP 10 (due in 2011) before an Apple Tablet comes out. (for those who decide to look that up, Moto != Motorola)
OLED? LCD? blah. Give me a PixelQi hybrid LCD/e-paper display.
everything is so much more HD feelin with the new engadget... so shiny and spewy of shine.. =]
Side note, is it just me or is everyone going to start replying to the article so their comments are hidden under another post?
I just don't get it - why have too similar sized displays?
I honestly do not understand how this qualifies as newsworthy.
Since Engadget seems hell-bent on keeping some sort of Apple tablet post quota, why don't you just contain these rumors in the same way that you cover Apple's WWDC: a single post that's continuously updated. Keep it permanently linked on the sidebar, where no one who's not interested has to pay attention to it. In keeping with the spirit Apple, you could create an iphone-esque "Tablet app" icon, with a number in the red circle to indicate how many new updates there are that day (similar to the number of unread messages in iPhone mail).
One post. All of the rumors. No fuss.
When hard facts are finally unearthed, or something leaks out that'll make the collective Engadget audience say, "Hey - that's ALMOST as good as the MS Courier," then I'll be as excited as the next Apple fanboy. Chit-chat with Conde Nast =/= exciting news - although it bears mentioning that *they* have an iPhone app whereas *yours* (Endgadet) is conspicuously absent.
Until then, cool off with the tablet rumors.
The not knowing of things make it more exiting than it really is.
Boy I want to see this tables. Although if the price really is like 2000 UDS, I say FAIL.
You know if this thing is decently priced I could see this replacing a folio/planner/notepad. Taking notes on a blackberry kinda sucks.
Secondly, why would I want to read digitized magazines of WIRED when I can just read engadget?
Definitely splurge for the OLED.
Kudos to Engadget. Wonderfully done. New Site is beautiful
On another note, 2K for a tablet? Apple is Killing me here. Better yet, they may be killing themselves in this market when such device makes an actual splash to the public. Several companies are paying attention and patiently waiting to make waves. Most are just waiting for a dummy platform so to speak and Apple may be just that dummy platform. 2K? sounds like Adamo.
@K Dot J
Apple isn't doing anything. They haven't said anything about a tablet, nor have they announced any pricing for one.
Dang! Is this ever gonna come out like seriously? 8 YEARS!.
I think they have pretty much maxed their tablet what they should really focus is about iPhone/iPod touch. They can't even stick a 0.5 Mp camera in iPod touch!
OLED???? BUT WHEN THE ZUNE HD CAME OUT THAT SAID IT WAS BAD DIDN'T THEY OH............... HAS THERE TUNE CHANGED