Money Matters, Simplified.
Apple may unveil Apple iSlate on January 27
Apple is expected to unveil its much anticipated tablet, Apple iSlate, at an event on Jan. 27. It sent out invitations to the media persons and analysts on Monday to “Come see our latest creation.”
by Priyanka - January 19, 2010 - comments
The entry to the invitation-only event will be held at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater in San Francisco.
Just shortly after Apple’s announcement, the speculations began that at the event it will be finally unveiling its highly-anticipated “iSlate” tablet.
It has been reported that the device is currently “in full production.”
However, Apple, in its usual style, did not mention anything specific in its invitations, either about the devices to be unveiled at the event or whether company’s iconic CEO Steve Job will be present.
Speculations at all-time high after Apple’s invitation
The rumors that Apple is planning to release a tablet PC in the market have been doing the rounds for quite some time now, but Apple never confirmed or denied the existence of its iSlate tablet officially.
According to media reports, the device looks like a larger version of the iPhone, with a 10-to-11-inch touch-screen display, capabilities for browsing Web, watching movies and television shows. The device can even double up as an e-reader.
The Wall Street Journal on Monday has reported that HarperCollins Publishers are negotiating a deal with Apple to make e-books available on its new tablet PC; a move expected to pose new challenge to Amazon’s Kindle e-reader.
The much-hyped tablet is expected to be priced in $800 to $1,000 range.
"It is too early to tell if any tablets will catch on and what price point is needed for them to gain serious market share," said Tim Bajarin, principal strategist at Creative Strategies. "However, all things point to the fact that 2010 will be the year tablets takes center stage as a new design for portable computing."
Reaction to Apple’s possible tablet announcement
Industry analysts seem quite excited over the possibility of iSlate tablet being confirmed at the event.
"If Apple should deliver a tablet this year, their record in creating innovative products tied to a solid ecosystem of software and services would clearly give them an edge on competitors who will mostly have tablets that are optimized for web browsing," said Bajarin.
Online readers though hardly seem to share industry experts’ eagerness over Apple’s rumored product.
An online reader notalilo wrote on news.cnet.com, “Is this a new rumor? Because if it's not I do not care. I only like to read rumors about Apple. Their real products are too boring.”