Approaching January, Apple Tablet Rumors Run Wild

By Brian X. Chen  

Apple plans to demonstrate its touchscreen tablet at a January event, multiple independent reports suggest.

Sources have told Financial Times, Business Insider and Boy Genius Report different pieces of information that, when added together, indicate Apple is preparing a special event to show off the tablet next month.

The most detailed report comes from Financial Times, whose sources claim Apple will hold an event Tuesday, Jan. 26 at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco — a venue where Apple has held its previous iPod events. The topic of the event is unknown, but Financial Times speculates it will center on the tablet.

The Silicon Alley Insider’s Dan Frommer cites a “plugged-in source in the mobile industry” who said Apple has contacted select developers to ready a higher-resolution version of their apps for a demonstration of the tablet in January.

Wired.com contacted seven developers of popular iPhone apps, who each said they had not received such a note regarding screen resolution from Apple.

One major iPhone developer, Raven Zachary of Small Society, told Wired.com he had to “ignore media requests pertaining to Apple rumors or confidentiality.” (Small Society helped develop the popular Zipcar iPhone app, which was demonstrated at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in June.)
Boy Genius Report cites an “amazingly accurate” source who is confident that there will be a 7-inch model of the Apple tablet. The vast majority of rumor reports regarding the tablet have described the product as a 10-inch version of the iPhone or iPod Touch. Boy Genius Report’s source hints that there may be two models. The source also said the tablet would be announced January.

In September, Wired.com compiled a roundup of multiple rumor reports regarding an Apple tablet. The consensus was that Apple was preparing a 10-inch touchscreen tablet running the iPhone OS. Several anonymous sources have said the product will have a strong focus on competing with e-book readers such as the Amazon Kindle.

The most credible report to date came from iLounge in late September, whose source said Apple was aiming to announce a touchscreen tablet no later than Jan. 19. iLounge established a solid track record after accurately leaking iPod models prior to their launch. Opposing Boy Genius Report, iLounge’s source said in September that a 7-inch tablet had been tested but was judged to be too small, so the latest version had a 10.7-inch screen.

Apple did not immediately respond to Wired.com’s request for comment regarding the event.