Apple Tablet rumor roundup: summer 2010 edition
By Vlad Savov 
posted January 20th 2010 5:57AM
posted January 20th 2010 5:57AM
Before we get into the rumors, here's a fact: unless the Apple Tablet cures cancer, global warming and obesity in one fell swoop, there'll be plenty of disappointed faces leaving the Yerba Buena theater next Wednesday. The hype is that overpowering. But hey, that doesn't mean we are not curious to know what it will actually do, so let's get to the latest batch of uncorroborated scuttlebutt.The Rumor: The Mac Observer believes these are legitimate photos of a 10-inch glass front for Apple's new machine. Coming from a "trusted source," the pictures seem to confirm a 10-inch screen size and an iPhone-inspired design (which includes an earphone hole!). In the pic to the side, you can see it resting atop a unibody MacBook Pro's keyboard for a sense of scale.
Our Take: Naturally taken in the worst possible light and suffering from a strong dose of noise and noise-reducing blur, the photos are close to impossible to verify. Their claim for legitimacy is also not helped by the blatant appearance of a scaled-up iPhone front plate -- something we could mock up ourselves if we had the patience.
The Rumor: Actual retail units of the fabled world-changing device won't be available until June. AppleInsider reports some analyst noise indicating that battery life and durability issues could delay the tablet's release until the middle of this year. Moreover, on the authority of "supply chain sources," it has been described as a "super iPod touch," with a suggestion it might have an ARM-based core inside.
Our Take: It's well known that the original iPhone followed a similar launch pattern of a January announcement and a June release, but Apple must be equally aware of how disappointing to its fans (and shareholders, more importantly) a paper launch would be. ARM internals seem logical, particularly since the iPhone already runs such hardware, and NVIDIA's Tegra 2 platform -- driven by a dual-core Cortex A9 chip -- has made some lofty promises about what can be done with the architecture.
The Rumor: The Guardian, via 9to5Mac, informs us that Apple has been in talks with UK mobile carriers about bringing its famine destroyer to the Queen's backyard in subsidized form. We're told it'll be bundled with mobile broadband contracts -- in much the same fashion as netbooks are treated currently -- but there'll be no exclusivity deals on the table so Orange, O2 and Vodafone are all in the running. There's also pretty firm word that the iWonder won't be making its UK debut until "later in the spring."
Our Take: Mobile broadband takeup is only going to grow in the UK and netbook bundles seem to have been popular so far, so it seems like a no-brainer to try and capitalize on this burgeoning market. As pointed out in The Guardian, behind the scenes talks don't always turn into real world deals, but at this point we'd be surprised if Apple wasn't talking to carriers about subsidies.
Well, we wanted photos and we got 'em -- in the signature grainy style that all pre-announcement hardware seems to appear. The latter two rumors have some intriguing synergy, though: both point toward availability coming significantly later than the announcement, and both seem to steer away from integrated 3G connectivity. We really can't wait to know -- if only to stop this speculative madness.
I do hope that the grainy images are NOTHING like what the real one turns out to be, because it looks cumbersome and uuuugly.
The 'speaker' in the place where the earphone is on the iPhone makes me think that this is definitely a fake, I mean, Apple are known for good design of late and I'm sure they would let something this hideous be released.
@rkmac that's 'wouldn't let something this hideous be released', not 'would'...
@rkmac
Say hello, to the iPhone XL.
@rkmac
a "big ass" Ipod touch?
It really needs a healthy helping of hardware buttons. A tablet like that will be a pain to use without some.
@rkmac
should see this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghPkhnCJYw4&feature=player_embedded
@LAY All the while we heard rumored reports that Harper Publisher will try to sell e-books diectly to iTunes once the Apple tablet has been unveiled.. Pff, Hopefully this won't spell a new shift to the news world.. Giving "TOLL-FEE" to every news we read. Details: http://bit.ly/iphone-4g-apple-tablet-details
@rkmac
Apple is just trying to lower expectations so when they release a product that looks pretty good, we won't be disappointed that it doesn't look incredible.
Was this "leaked" demo?
http://bit.ly/islatedemo
@rkmac
I was considering the whole Apple Slate/Tablet thing this morning and the rumours I have heard.
Nearly all of them expect the Slate to be sub $1,000 and steal from the netbook/smartphone market. The pundits also expect there to be a limited market for this form factor initially while its use case is worked out.
Well, what they are wrong about the first and right about the second expectation?
What if the Slate (assuming it exists) is Apple’s premium product.
Coming in above the MacBook Pro/Air and costing more than $3,000
Suddenly it is a real status symbol and desirable product.
Traditionally, this is where Apple wins. They don’t like to get down and dirty on specs and pricing.
Stack it full of leading edge tech to justify the price and suddenly the limited volumes are not an issue since Apple will make a huge markup on each one sold.
Now this would shake up the market.
Roll on the 27th.
I hope that isnt it as it looks really really stupid , like the giant phone in trigger happy tv.
How come every single day there is a Apple rumor roundup???? This is getting really silly..
And then you expect Bill Gates to join you in tweeter !! (article below)..
@Sor1
Who could be more interested in these rumors than Bill himself?
@onlymyrailgun Someone still part of Microsoft, maybe.
@onlymyrailgun
i don't know... perhaps Andy Rubin? :P
@Sor1 Why would they expect Bill Gates to join them in an out-of-buisness audio/video store?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tweeter_%28store%29
Man, did they miss an opportunity with a name like that!
Good lord when will the Apple rumormill stop.
The post-density since the Apple announcement is seriously annoying.
@hq If you don't want to read about the latest Apple rumors, why even click on the link and leave a comment?!
@hq Agreed - but I still keep reading!
@Adam Miarka You kind of *have* to read through the headlines on the mainpage do see what articles are posted, aren't you?
@Adam Miarka You kind of *have* to read through the headlines on the mainpage to see what articles are posted, aren't you?
@hq sorry for doubleposting, thank you engadget comment system...
@rhodesy22 It is like driving by a car wreck on the interstate.... you know you shouldn't slow down and look, but you just can't help yourself...
@hq
You read the headlines, you don't need to comment.
Get a life you bitter little man
@hq
+1
@hq - Why do pc fanboys come into a mac article and post whining that they have to see a mac article? JUST KEEP SCROLLING PAST THE MAC ARTICLE?!?!?! That's what I do when I see the many pc articles littering engadget- I KEEP SCROLLING!
These are new rumors, thanks for posting them. Apple stock was up $9 yesterday, so the hype is in overdrive.
@hq yeah and engadget: if you want the speculation to end, stop contributing to it! stop posting these "rumor roundups" and do some actual reviews or reporting.
@(Unverified) Dude I am sorry to dissapoint you, but I am totally typing this from an iMac.
Not everybody who is saying something against the Apple hype is automatically a PC "fanboy". I also have read lots of Apple fans also complaining about the big wave of Apple rumor roundups, considering them exaggerated.
So why do you insult? Why do you start SHOUTING?
What do you think about the whole gaming press being invited to the event? Is it going to be packing more gear for gaming or is it just the standard iPod touch as a 'gaming' device fare that Apple has been pushing but now on a larger scale?
@samuelgibbs
It's not a Tablet at all, it's the Pippin 2.
Wow - a huge iPhone. What's next? Huge iPod speakers? This wrong in so many levels...
@yyy Somehow I seriously hope they will just make it look like a bigger iPhone which would totally show the lack of innovation in design terms.
@yyy They're releasing a new desk and coffee table that double as iPad docks. :D
@hq
Well they have to keep the design familiar for marketing reasons . Any other design will look strongly look like existing tablets. But if that's it, Then Apple is definitely milking the cow.
@yyy Apple also announcing new line of clothing on 27th with massive pockets for 10" Tablet - stylish too...
@presstini64 white sapndex, though your penis wont fit in unless you get your balls chipped by apple.
engadget.com is turning more and more into macrumors.com.
now that apple has released a date for the next event it's time to stop spreading these so-called rumors on this site as their obvious purpose is to put the name apple into the headlines (indirect marketing-campaign).
@sottil
You're commenting. You're part of the marketing camping. Do you see?
@pukerocket
*campaign
We're setting ourselves for such a let down next week :( Sure - there's most probably a tablet in the works but it seems more and more likely that we're not going to see it on Wednesday.
It seems more like they'll be focusing on some kind of creativity application (aperture?) and we've just forced it to mean it has to he something to do with a tablet and being able to use our hands.
:(
I'm quite sure that the final product won't be anything special.
but millions of people will buy it anyway because of Apple's advertising and armies of fanboys. Even though they won't know what they can actually use it for that they couldn't do with a netbook or a smartphone.
@(Unverified)
Why shouldn't people have a netbook, a tablet, a phone and a PC? Some people have got money to burn.
No one has to justify their purchases to some nerd who never achieved anything in life
@(Unverified) Oddley,
Apple's advertising is what made me buy the iPhone.
But my thought process might not be how you'd think.
Their marketing, creating a large user base created a platform developers wanted to develop for (kinda like how most main stream applications get developed for windows, rather than linux, because of the difference in use base - btw i like linux, linux users will know this is true - and annoying).
Because of this, the range of applications is pretty good, and combined with a single release mechinism (unlike WiMo.. back when I bought my iPhone anyway) I could be sure at the time I'd be able to get applications for what I needed.
So Apple marketing convinced me to get the iPhone.
So, come tomorrow, shuold HTC produce a HD2 with Android, a seriously improved user interface, and if Android gets the same range of apps (which is happening!!) I'll jump boat.
But, should i be looking for a tablet (not too likley) and apples happens to have the most software (still not likley.. since windows will run on half of them, and the other half will probably be hackintoshed :P ) then i'll buy Apple.
*yawn* Wake me up when it's actually announced.
I guess.... Apple's tablet will have two screens on top of each other. One colour for "doing stuff", and another E-ink for reading books? Of course this device will be touch sensitive..
@sslapikas: or maybe Pixel Qi...
can normal users get a non-apple rumor site?
@enex
Dude. You can't even not post on Apple threads, so what's the chance of you not reading them?
The thing do do is stop commenting, then stop reading.
I suspect the rumours are more fun than the device will be - keep them coming...
@presstini64: Sadly, this is always the case. I'm thinking about taking a tech news break until next Wednesday just to avoid the insane lead-up.
Anything along the lines of an elongated iPhone with an appropriately distilled interface would be a total fail for me.
I have voted + to the first comment as usual blindly :)