Apple tablet rumored to enter production in February, ship as early as March

By on Dec 9, 2009 at 7:02 AM
General December 9, 2009

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We try and steer clear of Apple tablet rumors as best as we can, but the latest is too good to pass up, especially considering that it flies straight in the face of a rumor we ran with nearly one month ago. According to Oppenheimer analyst Yair Reiner, Apple is almost ready to give its Chinese manufacturing partners the green light to begin mass production of the oft-rumored tablet that is believed to feature a 10.1″ Multi-Touch capacitive display. If all goes well, Reiner believes that the tablet will be available as early as March provided Apple is able to stockpile enough units in order to minimize any potential shortages. So how many units are we talking? Based on an average retail price of $1,000, Reiner predicts Apple could sell as many as 1.5 million tablets in the first quarter. As for content, it’s believed Apple is aggressively going after publishers by offering them the same 30/70 revenue sharing deal as currently exists within Apple’s iTunes App Store. To give you an idea of how attractive the offer will be, Amazon is believed to ask publishers to evenly split revenue on non-exclusive content to its Kindle

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  • RocknStuff

    All I want to know is if it uses snow leopard or the iphone os?

    • munir

      that is definitely the question. if it’s running iphone OS, i dont care how cheap it is.

  • Sonya

    Rumor 5,043 about this Apple tablet. I’m sure it’ll be cool. But for $1,000 I’ll pass. That’s a house payment.

    • Mrwirez

      How many dollars will this fragile device require?

      I hate Apple, their products, their fan-boy’s, safari, os-x, lack of software compatibility, pricing, the app store, the strict app store rules, closed systems, the proprietary locking down of hardware, the inability to open the device and work on them, No interchangeable batteries, the fruity mac guy in the mac ads, and the angry douche bag running Apple.

      Btw, Time magazine.. picked the open source Android “Droid” as the number 1 electronic gadget of 2009! Go Google!

  • Paul

    New crap gadget for US ppl. Go on holidays instead?

  • herenot

    very unlikely. it’s not going to be a 1.5 mill units per Q product, at first, DEFINETLY not with 1000$ as a starting point.

    apple doesn’t launch new product catagories like that.

  • Kal-El

    Wow… were looking @ a $1k price point now?… sheesh…

    Well im for one waiting for the Courier…

  • Blue cheese

    Every time apple come with something new it’s all around $1,000 starting price these ass tart must think people got money to burn … Well I rather go with Sony , Dell , Lg … Screw those rich punks … Try eating s homeless sandwich ….

  • http://www.twitter.com/jazzyl jazzyl

    Well apple really knows how to keep their products in secrecy well up until now no one knows what OS this Tablet will run as well as price or even a leaked picture of this new Tablet. Well we will wait and see as time goes on I hope it will sell as much as the iphone but only time will tell.

    Sent via BlackBerry.

  • Brainiac-6

    @Kal-El:
    That’s what I’m saying… the Courier concept is more than just a tablet… the idea of flipping pages, having the center bookmark/holder, and having the journal form factor is very different than the next tablet.

    Any other tablet just appears to me like a touch screen laptop. Even 10 inches is wieldy and big… the courier w/ its book form… I can see myself holding it with one hand and flipping through pages and websites, etc. Then when I’m done, snapping it closed and putting it away under my arm. None of these things I’d do with a laptop or tablet.

    I know that sounds trivial and minor, and for the most part, it is. But form factor and intuitiveness is what makes or breaks products. For example: There’s plenty of devices that do exactly what iPods do… but Apple had the click wheel for iPods and thats what made it more intuitive, that’s what seperated it from every other MP3 player, and thus made it reign.

    If all Apple does now is give us a 10-inch iPhone, well… I’m not interested in the Touch or iPhone, so a tablet isn’t much more exciting.

    I really think an Apple tablet, if it appears as the same form factor that all these rumors say it will be, will only really be embraced by those who like Apple already. I think in order to get people to put down their iPhone/touch, ignore their laptop/Macbooks, and pick up an Apple Tablet instead, would require something truly different and offers an experience you can’t get from those devices. The Courier concept offers that.

    But… as always, just rumors. So here’s to hoping Apple has something crazy and innovative up their sleeve.

    But MS… Please: Courier. 2010. Make it happen.

  • shrunuf

    These tablets that we’re seeing more of are niche at best, fad at worst. They’re never going to catch on unless they can replace a laptop. For now, people realize that, and they’ll spend their extra cash on a high-end smartphone. Apple must really be on to something, because to me this seems like a portable video game that kids will nag their parents about.

    • stevelucky

      A fad? Yeah, that’s what people said about the iPod as well. I’m not saying that it’s not a fad, all I’m saying is that Apple isn’t stupid. They make products that people fall in love with. Everyone here can talk about how lame the iPhone is, but the fact of the matter is that in a popularity contest, it wins over the Droid, the BlackBerry, etc… and while I’m not saying that popular is always the best, popular does = $. And if you take a look at the profits and general cash on hand at Apple, Inc. they sure seem to be doing something right. We’ll see if they release a tablet and jut how good it is, but I have a feeling that a lot of people will be eating their words.

  • Prophet

    Wow a 10″ touch. From the makers if the iPhone. Droid doesn’t.

    • Cpete

      the droid is a smartphone not a tablet. its supposed to be smaller because its made to fit in your pocket. this isnt the new iphone 4g its a touch screen tablet, you’re comparing apples to oranges if you compare the droid to this.

      • Verizon is the best

        Wow you are comparing a 10 inch Tablet pc to a Droid phone!?!?! FAIL

  • Mrwirez

    What exactly do I need this for? Its too big to carry in your pocket.. It’s a glorified kindle.. Might as well buy a netbook.

  • Chris

    Happy fanboi’s? Here’s your 2 apple stories.

    By apple fanboi logic, it must mean BGR is a fanboi too, posting 2 apple stories in a row… sheesh.

    (cuz we know he’s a droid fanboi for posting 2 stories about the droid, right fanbois?)

  • Karuk

    Apple = Entertainment (and they are really good at it)

    Android = Productivity and Entertainment

    Both platforms serve a purpose.

    The Apple fanboys are all about distracting themselves. They need a constant source of entertainment to avoid having to grow up. The iPhone is the king of entertainment and the best device in the world to help the liberal fanboi’s avoid becoming an adult.

    I deal with Apple product owners everyday. Products are good. Owners think they are entitled.

    • ernielm

      Matter of time until some fool brought in politics. Liberals? I would rather stay an Apple fan and continue to be an immature liberal than growing up and becoming a heartless conservative.

      Keep the politics out dude! You will lose.

  • big dizzle

    1,000 is too much.
    the tablet should start at $499 and $699 for a iTab pro edition.

    Posted from BGR Mobile (iPhone).

  • T dot

    WHO CARES??? DROID OWNS THE ENTIRE INDRUSTRY NOW IPHONE SHOULD GIVE UP

  • jonathan

    why do you have to be a fanboi of anything. I use a Mac and have a windows 7 pc laptop too. use the iPhone but liking the N900. I just played around with the droid Eris and thought it was cool, so I never really trash another product. Folks just becomes too obsessive with their phone, come on….

    Posted from BGR Mobile (iPhone).

  • David

    I’ve got to say the constant Apple hate really hurts the credibility of the authors. It’s silly. I switched from a PC to a Mac (after 30 years) and I’ve never looked back. Since then I’ve had numerous friends and co-workers make the change and all couldn’t be happier. The iPhone? Is it the be all end all? Not yet – but it’s a damn good phone. ANYONE can pick it up and hit the ground flying. Is there any other phone out there that would have such success with such an awful network? Quite simply the iPhone is a destination device. And the reasons for that are obvious. If you haters are so smart you’d think you still should be able to recognize that.

  • because I said so

    Does it come with a $500 Apple gift card?

  • paul

    bet it it will run the iphone os (no multitasking etc) and cost >$1000 and everyone is saying the JooJoo is too expensive at $500, please…

  • http://thecricketmafia.com joe

    The only reason people hate Mac, is because they can’t afford one., J.S.

  • ron

    Macs just work. Apple makes the products that people can use – out of the box. NO viruses or those other Windows thingies that puts the cost of ownership waaaay up. If you can’t afford things – don’t buy them. (Obummer should take note….On a cheapo notebook). I’ll get the Apple new device as soon as it’s available. I don’t have a house payment. I’m a conservative. I save.

  • jonathan

    Although I still use windows, I’ve got to admit that the Mac is the better OS. Microsoft knows this and thats why Windows 7 is looking and acting like a Mac, but still not a Mac. Anyway I have both, but if you ask me which one I prefer, I say the Mac. When I have the budget for the new apple tablet I would eventually get one too. With regards to the Iphone, it was the game changer. I appreciate the Droid, but you have to admit that all these touchscreen phones are derived from the success of the Iphone. Yes its simple to use, no multitasking yet but folks just love using it. I see doctors, lawyers, engineers and all kinds of professional people using the Iphone and I believe its primarily because its got the apps(not the stupid ones) that comes in handy in their line of work and none of them really miss multitasking that much that they would give up the Iphone. I really don’t know anyone who disliked their iphone and if they did, it would be related to the network. I live in the outer suburbs of Chicago and haven’t really experienced much of AT&T’s shortcomings, in fact, I’ve used unlocked Nseries phones for the last 6 years and its been great with the network, so it really all depends where you live. If the Iphone goes to Verizon, AT&T would have a huge problem. Apple products are on the expensive side, but like everything in this world, “you get what you pay for”.

  • Cpete

    seeing as most software is for windows os first, it makes owning a mac difficult sometimes depending what your job is. but then again thats why they make macs with windows os and have snow leopard able to duel boot. and @joe and others who said it, i dont dislike macs because i cannot afford one i dislike them because of their OS, its just not for me. so grouping everyone into that category just makes you look like an arrogant ass.

    • jonathan

      It really all depends on which OS you are exposed to a lot. With me, I learned Basic language on the old Apple II personal computer, Apple did come out first with the Personal computer. Windows marketing trumped it and dominated basically the PC world. I like the new Windows 7, especially the stability and the Mac like dock and Expose like windows. I do agree with you that grouping everyone that dislike Macs into a can’t afford category is silly, but you really have to edit out the immature comments here, unfortunately not everyone that post here is on the same maturity level. Some just make comments like that for cheap kicks with nothing to contribute and nothing better to do. I just weed it out and not bothering to respond to it. I like the status quo between Windows and Mac, if the Mac Os was the majority, then more bugs would be written for it. I don’t even have a anti-virus program on my Imac, I just make sure I set it on auto download and install any new updates.

      • Cpete

        i agree its really preference. for me a pc works better for others macs work. i mean really a computer is a computer when it boils down to it. and you’re right i should let those comments go its just fueling their fire.

  • http://KatieLawrence.com Katie Lawrence

    Can’t wait to Apple tablet. I am guessing it will be called the iTablet.

  • JB

    $1000 is a joke…. I can pick up a Netbook for $229 with W7 and 250 GB HD… No thanks apple…

  • because I said so

    Your computer isn’t a status symbol. It is a computer.

  • Cpete

    dont waste your time even responding to wendys. hes not worth the time or effort considering all he ever writes are inflammatory statements for attention.

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