September 30th, 2009
iTablet redux, more details trickle out
The tablet winds are blowing again and more new rumors are circulating about the mythical Apple tablet. A source at iLounge (via Wired) claims that Apple plans to announce a 10.7-inch diagonal tablet by January 19, 2010. The source claims that the iTablet will run the iPhone operating system.
The tablet will sport a higher resolution than the iPhone or iPod Touch screen: “Expect something like 5-6 times the resolution of an iPod Touch or iPhone screen (720p or thereabouts) and 7 times the touchable surface area,” writes iLounge.
Also, there will be one version equipped with 3G networking and one without. This would make the 3G model a bigger version of the iPhone, and the non-3G tablet a larger iPod Touch.
iLounge notes that the iTablet will operate “as a slate-like replacement for books and magazines.” Wired makes a case that an Apple tablet could supplant the Amazon Kindle and even the Amazon.com e-book store. It also stands to reason that Apple could easily add eBooks to the iTunes Store (as I argued back in December) making Apple an even more dominant force in the digital content world.
iLounge’s sources have been accurate in the past, and the site says that the latest iTablet rumor is from the same source who leaked details on the fifth-generation iPod nano and the fourth-generation iPod nano before their release.
I just hope that it costs less than $800, $500-700 is probably the sweet spot, but Apple has a nasty habit of charging about $100 more than it should on such items.
How much would you pay for a 10.7-inch tablet running the iPhone OS?
Jason D. O'Grady is the editor of PowerPage.org, which has been publishing daily mobile technology news since December 1995. For disclosures on Jason's industry affiliations, click here or to view Jason's full profile click here.
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